Mahuta NanaiaHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Local Government): It gives me great pleasure to be able to speak on Part 1 of the Water Services Entities Bill. It's really important to ensure that from the outset we continue to highlight that there is need for reform in our current water services delivery approach.Why? Because in 2016 when the campylobacter outbreak occurred in Havelock North an inquiry was commenced by the previous Government. Why? Because the findings of that particular inquiry demonstrated that that particular incidence was one that caused a significant contamination and led to further serious highlighting of the water network infrastructure system that was not isolated to Havelock North and then we commenced a significant investigation in 2017 around just how fragile our water infrastructure network is.As I come back to Part 1 what we have is the initial architecture of an approach which will enable us to address these very significant issues. In fact in the purpose clause—and I want to thank the Finance and Expenditure Committee for the work that they have undertaken—the clarification of the bill is set out in clauses 3(1) and 3(2) in terms of the purpose of the Act.I want to really ensure that we do not lose sight that this approach means that we will have a sustainable way of funding waters infrastructure; that we will be able to separate balance sheets in terms of water services entities and councils; that we will be able to implement a good governance regime; that we will be able to uphold Treaty of Waitangi obligations; and that we will be able to ensure greater affordability for ratepayers at a time when the cost of living pressures are significant and great.In Part 1 of the bill what we will see is a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) which makes clear Te Mana o te Wai clarifications. When I look to the work of the select committee it was actually the Federated Farmers in their submission who highlighted that they wanted greater clarification of Te Mana o te Wai and its meaning which is set out in SOP 306.What have we done here? We've actually brought forward the intent of Te Mana o te Wai as was defined in 2014 under Nick Smith and said Well we need to treat water as a whole system right from source protection to discharging back into the environment." So in the SOP under clause 6 we've got "Te Mana o te Wai—(a) has the meaning set out in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management issued in 2020 under section 52 of the Resource Management Act 1991 and any statement issued under that section that amends or replaces the 2020 statement (and see also sections 4 5 and 13 of this Act); and (b) applies for the purposes of this Act to water (as that term is defined in section 2(1) of the Resource Management Act 1991)."Simply put it enables us to ensure that from the point of source and extraction of water for drinking water right back through the taps and discharging water through waste water or sewerage into its receiving environment to any water body we are taking care of the whole system in the application of this particular Act.I'm anticipating that there will be a number of contributions that may well question two particular intents in Part 1 of the bill and that's as it relates to the Treaty of Waitangi and Te Mana o te Wai. If I look to clause 4 it's very clear that this particular bill will give effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and Te Mana o te Wai. They have the dual purpose; they ensure that we're able to be responsible stewards and kaitiaki of our water resource by catchment going forward into the future.This is what will separate New Zealand's approach to caring for our most precious resource—water—in the way that we deliver services to our community. We're not just thinking about today; we are thinking about tomorrow. We're making sure that the whole system of care for water and its use will be taken account of.I do want to thank the select committee for the range of additions that they've made to Part 1. I look forward to the debate."