6. Water Supplies—Bottling and Use by Corporate EntitiesMETIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to the Minister for the EnvironmentWater Supplies—Bottling and Use by Corporate Entities6. METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to the Minister for the Environment: Tū ai a ai i runga i te mana o āna kōrero i whakapūrongotia rā he whakaparahako" he mahi "heahea rawa atu" te whakamahi te kawe wai rānei a ngā kamupene pire wai?[Translation: Does he stand by his reported statements that charging companies who use or take water would be "ridiculous" and "farcical"?]Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment): No. Those comments were made in respect of the proposal to ban water exports—not charging.Metiria Turei: Does he think that the Prime Minister Bill English is "ridiculous" and "farcical" for seeking advice on the charging of water bottling?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Not at all. Last Tuesday on the bridge I said that the Government was happy to have a discussion around charging but not on bottled water in isolation because it makes a very small fraction of the amount of water take.Metiria Turei: So then he disagrees with the Prime Minister who has asked for advice on the charging of water bottling?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Not at all. I have said I am happy to have a discussion both around the issues of allocation and charging. In fact we set up a technical advisory group and work programme last June to do just that. What we want to do though is ensure that we are being fair and considered and consider all water users.Metiria Turei: Why would New Zealanders even trust him to even consider a recommendation to price the commercial use of water when just last week he described that process as ridiculous and farcical? Why would they trust you?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I have the quote exactly in front of me. It was: did I support a ban on exporting water? And I said "I think it's a bit farcical in the sense that it's such a small amount of water." I am open-minded about a charge but it would need to be done in a careful way to ensure that all water users are treated equitably.Metiria Turei: Does he agree with the OECD which has said today that New Zealand has some of the lowest environmental levies in the world or does he think that the OECD's key recommendation to protect water is ridiculous and farcical?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The OECD actually commended the Government on the progress that has been made on environmental charges. It is our Government that introduced a waste levy in 2009 it is our Government that introduced a price on carbon in July 2010 and the Minister for Climate Change Issues is progressively lifting those. We just need to be careful on the issue of water around charging because the sorts of proposals that I have seen from the Opposition would bankrupt New Zealand's most important industries.Metiria Turei: Is the Minister comfortable with new bottling ventures like the plan to sell pristine water from Mount Aspiring National Park piped directly on to ships offshore going ahead?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: That particular proposal was consented way back in the 1990s and it comes as no surprise that it has not been taken up. I do note that if you look at the number of consents approved for bottling and export less than 1 percent of those that are consented are actually being used. All that has occurred on the West Coast is a renewal of that consent about a year ago with the support and approval of the local iwi the local council and the Department of Conservation.Marama Fox: Does the Minister still agree that nobody owns the water when farmers are able to sell their water allocation as an asset to improve the value of their farm or independently of a farm sale?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: It is the longstanding position of consecutive Governments that the water is a public resource that is not owned by any one group. There have always been charges for water services—for instance if a council provides storage treatment or piping or if irrigation companies are providing services associated with the water.Metiria Turei: Is the reason the Prime Minister took this problem off him and offloaded it instead on to officials for after the election that the Government is not going to do anything and does not want to pay the electoral price for the commercial use of water?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: It is quite the opposite. The Government set up a work programme approved by Cabinet last May that specifically set up an expert technical advisory group on both the pricing and on the allocation of water quite specifically in the terms of reference. We just simply say that having a very narrow discussion around water bottling is actually not where the main game is if New Zealand is going to improve its freshwater management. Marama Fox: Does the Minister then agree that water given freely to corporates is a form of corporate welfare?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: There are about 20000 water permits across New Zealand. A large number of those are held by New Zealand companies by individuals and by others and they are crucial to the core horticultural agricultural—many of our industries. It has been a longstanding practice that water is not charged for the natural resource.Hon Te Ururoa Flavell: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. I did not want to interrupt the member as she asked her question but just for the record the Māori—the fourth word in that question is spelt wrong; it should be "ia" as opposed to "ai" just for the record.Mr SPEAKER: I thank the member for his assistance."