Jackson WillieTAUMATA AROWAI—THE WATER SERVICES REGULATOR BILLFirst ReadingHon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment) on behalf of the Minister of Local Government: I move That the Taumata Arowai—the Water Services Regulator Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Health Committee to consider the bill. At an appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be reported back to the House by 17 June 2020.Tuatahi e tika ana ki te tautoko tēnei kaupapa. He kaupapa tino taumaha mō te mō Aotearoa; engari e tika ana ki te tautoko tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira i tēnei wā. [Firstly it is appropriate to support this matter. It is a weighty matter for New Zealand; however it is right to support this important matter at this time.]For two weeks in August 2016 a tragedy unfolded in Havelock North. In this beautiful quiet Hawke's Bay town people were struck down as they went about their normal daily business suffering from diarrhoea flu-like headaches muscle pain and vomiting. Before the end of the month around 5500 residents out of a total population of 14000 had been afflicted. Schools closed businesses shut down once busy cafes were empty streets fell silent. Forty-five residents found their way to the hospital and up to four people subsequently died. A further unknown number are thought to have suffered ongoing debilitating and life-altering ill effects.For families who lost loved ones or whose whānau may have suffered continuing afflictions the human cost is immeasurable. The economic impacts—less so in the wash-up dollar costs—were estimated at $21 million. The damage in terms of the towns the regions and the country's clean green image is unquantifiable. As we all know the devastating effect was not the result of some alien contagion. The explanation was much more banal. There was contamination of the town's drinking water—drinking water which was supplied by a public body and which should have been subject to comprehensive and rigorous screening testing and treatment to ensure its safety for public consumption. It was not.The subsequent Government inquiry pointed to systemic regulatory failure—a verdict confirmed by the Three Waters Review. A similar event occurred in the same town in 1998. Lessons were not learnt. In addition at a conservative estimate every year 34000 New Zealanders get sick from drinking their household water. Research indicates that for every registered case of illness from waterborne contamination there are probably several others that go unreported. At any other time there are likely to be communities across Aotearoa on permanent boil-water notices due to toxic contamination. In others it's becoming an increasingly frequent requirement that residents have to boil the water before they brush their teeth or buy that water in plastic bottles if they can afford it. In others still the infrastructure and treatment plants for water are outdated or no longer fit for purpose.The Government has made it clear all along our determination to put the health and safety of New Zealanders first. With the Taumata Arowai—the Water Services Regulator Bill we're taking concrete steps to rectify the broken—DEPUTY SPEAKER: I'm sorry to interrupt the member but the time has come for me to leave the chair.Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Thank you Madam Speaker. Well with this Taumata Arowai–the Water Services Regulator Bill we are taking concrete steps to rectify the broken regulatory system for water. The bill is a milestone for drinking-water safety in New Zealand. It implements our decision to create a new regulatory body to oversee administer and enforce a new drinking-water regulatory system which will also help improve environmental outcomes for our waterways lakes and rivers.As part of this Government's broader package of water reform the bill establishes the water services regulator Taumata Arowai as a new Crown agent. Taumata Arowai will: protect and promote drinking-water safety and public-health outcomes; help build and maintain public confidence in drinking water through leadership and communications relating to drinking-water safety and regulation including the management of risks to sources of drinking water; monitor and enforce compliance with drinking-water regulation; and build capability among drinking-water suppliers and the wider industry by promoting education and training.Being a Crown agent will help Taumata Arowai to build credibility have a dedicated and sustained focus on drinking water and recruit highly skilled people. Taumata Arowai will have sufficient independence to protect the integrity of its decision making. Establishing the new regulator as a Crown entity which focuses primarily on drinking water is an approach that is strongly supported by local government.The new organisation will also play a role in improving environmental outcomes for fresh water. It will provide much leadership guidance and transparency relating to the environmental performance of waste water and stormwater networks. It will also promote public understanding of how these networks are performing.The bill establishes a Māori advisory group to advise Taumata Arowai on Māori interests and knowledge. This role includes providing advice on how to enable mātauranga Māori and tikanga Māori to be exercised and how to give effect to Te Mana o te Wai. For too long we've taken our water supplies for granted. With its dedicated focus and remit Taumata Arowai will address this. Taumata" is a term used for a summit symposium or congress. "Arowai" is a compound word composed of "aro" and "wai". "Aro" means to give attention to to focus on or be in the presence of. "Wai" is water. The entire name conveys the weight and responsibility as well as the focus and authority of the regulator.The Taumata Arowai—the Water Services Regulator Bill is the foundational legislative architecture of a broader package of reform and collaboration with local government and the wider water sector. The next complementary initiative is a water services bill which the Minister proposes to introduce to the House early in 2020. This will provide the detailed regulatory framework for Taumata Arowai's remit and power up the new regime.For the purpose of context the Minister wants to mention and foreshadow another crucial work stream: delivery and funding of drinking water waste water and stormwater services also known as the three waters. We've heard and understand from three waters research that some communities are facing challenges relating to upgrading or replacing infrastructure or simply meeting existing regulatory standards. Further work in collaboration with local government will look at options for addressing this. Some of the communities that are likely to face the greatest challenges are in rural areas. We are determined that rural New Zealanders should not be second-class citizens when it comes to the quality and safety of their drinking water. A rural drinking-water advisory group will be set up to explore solutions to challenges specific to smaller rural communities.Drinking water quality can be a matter of life and death. The fractures in our regulatory system and our general lack of awareness of water quality issues have been building for years if not decades. We have an opportunity to deal with this decisively. If we do not we risk not only New Zealanders' health and safety from the most basic and essential of commodities but the overall wellbeing of our communities. We risk negative impacts on our image as a country that cares about its environment and the tourism industry that thrives on this. We risk putting the brakes on growth and economic development. We will lose focus on other challenges including the potentially devastating human and economic impacts of climate change on our essential water services.The Taumata Arowai—the Water Services Regulator Bill is the first step in a comprehensive series of reforms to meet these challenges. The Minister would like to acknowledge the constructive collaboration of local government and the wider water sector in developing these reforms. She looks forward to working further with them on the next steps in the programme. The Minister would like to thank all colleagues for their support and contribution towards the bill and the wider three waters reforms.Finally the Minister would like to acknowledge the work of the Havelock North drinking water inquiry. One of the inquiry's key recommendations was to create a dedicated drinking-water regulator. Through this bill we are responding to that recommendation. I commend the bill to the House."