Three waters reforms under fire from the auditor general

Three waters reforms under fire from the auditor general
The argument over water infrastructure reform is becoming intense. (Image: Getty)
Pattrick Smellie
A scathing submission from the auditor general John Ryan heaps yet more pressure on the government’s three waters reform agenda.Published today, the submission on the Water Entities Bill to form four regional “water services entities” (WSE) from the water infrastructure currently owned by New Zealand’s 67 local councils suggests that public scrutiny of the new organisations will be far weaker than is possible at present.“I am concerned that, as currently drafted in the bill, the accountability arrangements and pote...

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