Dean Jacqui: South Taranaki District Council (Cold Creek Rural Water Supply) Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Dean Jacqui: South Taranaki District Council (Cold Creek Rural Water Supply) Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 21 March 2012. Volume:678;Page:1191. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) 
: 
 An interesting question is raised for us and the Local Government and Environment Committee in the South Taranaki District Council (Cold Creek Rural Water Supply) Bill. It is a little unusual for a water company to use a local bill to gain ownership of a scheme. I think that there are some concerns raised around the House this afternoon which we will address very carefully in the select committee. It seems to me from hearing the debate and having looked briefly at the bill obviously we will be having a much closer look as it goes through the select committee process. I thank and acknowledge other members for supporting this bill’s referral to the select committee even though they may some misgivings. 
 I think looking at the background and history of this scheme it is like a number of rural water schemes all throughout New Zealand. This scheme was built in the mid-1980s by the farmers of the day and gosh groups of farmers have been constructing rural water schemes for over 100 years in New Zealand. So a group of farmers got together and identified a source of water. In this case they constructed a water-race which services 162 connections. So it is a relatively small rural water scheme used for stock water and for drinking purposes. Although it is true that this rural water scheme had the benefit of a dollar-for-dollar grant from the central government of the day it has effectively been owned if you like and managed by the local management committee. Now they seek to have that ownership confirmed in a company that they have formed for the management of their rural water scheme. 
In thinking about it my first thoughts on it are that it is not dissimilar to a number of irrigation companies and a number of irrigation schemes that I am surrounded by in the Waitaki electorate particularly on the Waitaki River catchment. I think there are similarities for the following reasons. We are talking about water infrastructure. The consent to take and use water is done by—is it the Taranaki district council— 
Jonathan Young 
: Regional council. 
JACQUI DEAN 
: —well regional council—and that is the same for an irrigation scheme. So we are talking about an intake system—it might be out of a riverbed; I do not know—and in this case a water-race. The connections go into stock water and go into home supply. In this case it is gravity fed I am assuming so it does not have the expense of having to pump water. 
To me there are a lot of similarities to what is quite normal practice in New Zealand with water infrastructure. We need to remind ourselves that we are talking about water infrastructure. We are talking about pipes pumps water-races and other equipment that is used to maintain and develop that system. We are not talking about water as such. So to me I think we need to be very careful that we do not allow ourselves to get sidetracked into the issue of privatisation of water which does not rightly belong in the context of the argument of this bill. 
Andrew Little 
: We need to make sure the ratepayers aren’t ripped off though. 
JACQUI DEAN 
: The member across the House mentions ratepayers and I think we also need to remember that the owners of this water scheme are also ratepayers. Instead of being rated for the maintenance of this infrastructure they will in fact pay for it by direct means because they are the beneficiaries and they are the users. So I do not actually accept the argument as advanced by the Opposition. 
The Local Government and Environment Committee will give this local bill its due consideration. I want to thank the Hon Chester Borrows for bringing this bill to the House on behalf of the South Taranaki District Council. We look forward to some good and useful debate on this issue. Thank you.