Brown Simeon; Kuriger BarbaraThird ReadingHon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Local Government): I move That the Water Services Acts Repeal Bill be now read a third time. Today we stand at the final stage of deliberation for a crucial piece of legislation: the Water Services Acts Repeal Bill. This bill which repeals Labour's failed three waters legislation is now before Parliament ready to be passed into law ending their misguided policy of stripping locally owned water assets from councils. I want to start by extending my gratitude to our coalition partners—the ACT Party and the New Zealand First Party—for their support in bringing this legislation through Parliament.This bill moves the responsibility for water services and ownership of water assets back to local councils where they belong. Councils know what is needed for their communities and should not be forced or mandated to take a one-size-fits-all approach. This bill provides much-needed clarity about the choices available to councils now that they must include water services into their long-term plans (LTPs).We're aware that councils are in different stages of completing their long-term plans and some have already begun consultation. This bill provides flexibility to councils by enabling a range of voluntary options that help councils complete and adopt their long-term plans. We want to help councils meet their statutory obligations.The bill provides a range of options that recognise that different councils will have different needs and preferences and will be at various stages of developing their long-term plans. The options include having an unaudited LTP consultation document adopting their long-term plan up to three months later than usual or deferring the LTP by one year and preparing and consulting on an annual plan for 2024-25 instead. This is about providing flexibility to councils not just simply telling them what to do or mandating them like the former Government did. All of the options are voluntary and councils can choose to use them or not depending on their local circumstances. This bill provides much-needed clarity about the choices available to councils in addition to the standard processes and what is required if particular options are taken up.As reiterated in my previous speeches on this bill the policy implemented by the prior Government was not only fiscally irresponsible but deeply divisive across New Zealand—costing $1.25 billion but not even able to implement it after six years in Government. It pursued an unpopular co-governance model that lacked the foresight and lacked working with councils to find out what worked for them. The extraordinary amount of money did not result in the improvements needed to our water infrastructure in New Zealand. Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent by the last Government but they failed to actually achieve the reforms they said they were going to set out and do. As with many aspects of the last Government's reforms this reform was top-down and not driven by local communities and local councils who best know their communities. This Government is not in the business of simply stipulating to local councils how they should be investing in their water infrastructure. We are ensuring that councils are able to put forward their own plans.From its inception the previous Government's reforms faced opposition from councils who rightfully felt their ownership of water assets built over decades by their communities would be forcibly removed. This policy stands in stark contrast to the principles upheld by our side of the House. Our plan Local Water Done Well recognises the importance of local decision-making and flexibility for communities and councils to determine how their water services should be delivered in their communities.Ensuring water services are financially sustainable and rules for water quality and investment infrastructure are met are core parts of our approach to ensure that New Zealanders receive high-quality drinking water and water services at a fair price. We're intentional in ensuring that councils are in control of this process. Local Water Done Well recognises councils and requires councils to provide the Government with plans to set out how they will deliver financially sustainable water services and water services infrastructure for ratepayers. If a council is unable to provide such a plan the Government will have access to regulatory backstops and we're developing that policy and implementing it over the coming year.As the Government confirmed in our post-Cabinet press conference yesterday the Government intends to set out the first part of the new regime in a second bill by mid-2024 which will establish the transitional arrangements for the new water services system. This bill will set out provisions relating to council service delivery plans transitional economic regulation streamlined requirements for establishing council-controlled organisations under the Local Government Act and it will also support Auckland Council to determine how they wish to create a financially sustainable model for Watercare.A third bill will be introduced in December and be passed by mid-2025. This bill will provide for a long-term replacement water services regime. This bill will set out provisions relating to long-term requirements for financial sustainability provide for complete economic regulation and a new range of structural and financing tools including a new type of financially independent council-controlled organisation. With Local Water Done Well we will enable councils and communities to determine what works best for them while establishing clear expectations and bottom lines.The National Party the ACT Party and the New Zealand First Party stand united in repealing the three waters legislation. We campaigned on this policy we were elected on this policy and we are now delivering on what the voters of New Zealand voted for. We're committed to addressing these issues differently prioritising localism and flexibility while ensuring robust investment in infrastructure and adherence to regulatory requirements. We believe we can work with councils and provide them with a level of autonomy to set out their long-term financially sustainable water service plans with the tools that we will provide.Today we are in the 12th week of our Government's first hundred days. We are proud to report that we're on track to fulfil another commitment to New Zealanders as part of our 100-day plan and to introduce and repeal the previous Government's three waters legislation. I'm pleased that we are achieving our 100-day plan and we're achieving it with this bill being passed as well tonight. Repealing this legislation paves the way for the introduction of a new regime one that emphasises local delivery and ensures financially sustainable delivery of water services across New Zealand. I commend the bill to the House.DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.