AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for March 29, 2026 – Full Text

Source: New Zealand Government

Regulation Minister David Seymour is urging businesses, fuel users, freight operators, and the wider public to report any regulatory barriers that might be hindering our response to global fuel uncertainty. 

Submissions should be made to the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline (the Tipline). Submissions can be made here.

“New Zealand’s fuel supply is stable. We’re focussed on keeping it that way. This Government has responded well to the potential of conflict in the Middle East leading to shortages,” Mr Seymour says. 

“We can’t control what happens in the Middle East. We can control how we get fuel flowing through New Zealand pumps. If red tape is getting in the way of that goal, we want to hear it.” 

Earlier this week the Government set out updates to the National Fuel Plan to make sure New Zealand is prepared if international disruption puts pressure on fuel supply. 

“The Government’s first responsibility is to keep the economy moving and ensure essential services, freight, and families aren’t disrupted any more than necessary,” Mr Seymour says. 

“While the Government’s response has been strong, we don’t want a repeat of the Covid-19 lockdowns, and we don’t want to miss something which could lead to negative effects down the line. That’s why we want to hear from people affected by edicts from Wellington; what regulatory barriers do you see getting in the way of fuel supply?

“This Government listens to the people in tough times. Taiwan took a similar approach during the COVID outbreak. Through public feedback they were able to develop tools that improved their response. 

“In a disruption every unnecessary delay matters. If there are regulations that make it harder to import, store, distribute, or use fuel efficiently, they need to be identified now. Not when the pressure is at its peak.

“Examples of things which people might submit to the Tipline are regulations that could be reviewed, suspended, simplified, or better coordinated to support New Zealand’s fuel resilience. This could include barriers affecting fuel transport, storage, distribution, local delivery, freight movements, business operations, or the ability of firms to adapt quickly to changing supply conditions. 

“Not all issues identified will fall within the scope of regulation. Where submissions are non-regulatory they will be referred to the appropriate authority or organisation best placed to address them.

“The Tipline has already fixed many things that matter to Kiwis. It’s fixed dumb rules to allow Kiwis to build sheds on their property, allow home based baking businesses to get on with business, and got rid of draconian rules preventing medical conferences taking place in New Zealand. 

“We are particularly interested in hearing from businesses on the front line. Fuel companies, freight operators, contractors, primary producers, retailers, and others whose day-to-day experience tells them where the bottlenecks are.”

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Regulatory feedback is being called for as the government looks to tackle global fuel uncertainty.

The government laid out its response plan to the rising fuel costs triggered by the conflict in the Middle East following the US-Israel attacks on Iran one month ago.

The National Fuel Plan mimics the Covid response in that it has four phases, each outlining measures that would be taken if the situation gets progressively worse.

New Zealand is currently at phase one and the government has said for now there is sufficient supply and no need for stockpiling.

The Ministry for Regulation is now urging businesses, fuel users, freight operators, and the wider public to report any barriers that could stand in the way of the government’s response.

The ministry’s main job is to ensure quality across regulatory systems and encouraging productivity.

Regulation Minister David Seymour said the ministry was interested in hearing from businesses on the front line including fuel companies, freight operators, contractors, primary producers and retailers.

“We can’t control what happens in the Middle East. We can control how we get fuel flowing through New Zealand pumps. If red tape is getting in the way of that goal, we want to hear it.”

Seymour said the government was trying to avoid a “repeat of the Covid-19 lockdowns”.

“We don’t want to miss something which could lead to negative effects down the line.

“That’s why we want to hear from people affected by edicts from Wellington; what regulatory barriers do you see getting in the way of fuel supply?”

Examples of submissions that could be made included barriers affecting fuel transport, storage, distribution, local delivery, freight movements, business operations, or the ability of firms to adapt quickly to changing supply conditions.

“In a disruption every unnecessary delay matters. If there are regulations that make it harder to import, store, distribute, or use fuel efficiently, they need to be identified now. Not when the pressure is at its peak,” Seymour said.

Submissions can be made to the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline.

The price of 91 and diesel fuel in most parts of the country was well past $3 per litre with some stations running dry especially on discount days.

Motor Trade Association spokesperson Simon Bradwell recently said there were concerns over the increasing possibility of people driving off without paying for fuel.

He said businesses were doing what they can to keep prices down as it was also in their best interest.

The government also announced earlier this week almost 150,000 families with children will receive an extra $50 a week to help with the rising cost of fuel.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Superannuitants, working families, students and beneficiaries are among the New Zealanders who will receive additional support from 1 April, as conflict in the Middle East continues to impact Kiwi wallets, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.

“The global fuel-price surge is hitting hard at home, causing a cost-of-living headache for many New Zealanders. While the Government can’t afford to ease all the pain, we are determined to keep progressing sensible, measured changes that provide some relief. 

On 1 April this week, policy changes and annual adjustments will increase financial support for more than a million New Zealanders. 

• Around 960,000 Kiwis receiving NZ Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension will get increased payments. NZ Superannuation for a married couple who both qualify will lift more than $50 to $1,708 a fortnight, an increase of over $180 since the 2023 election.
• Around 280,000 low-to-middle-income families will receive an increase in the family tax credit. Eligible families with one child will receive an extra $400 a year, rising to $720 for families with two children and $1,050 with three.
• As announced last week, an increase to the in-work tax credit will result in 143,000 working families receiving a further $50 boost per week for up to a year, as part of the Government’s temporary, targeted support to help with fuel costs. A further 14,000 families will receive up to $50 per week.
• In addition, Budget 2025 changes to the Working for Families abatement threshold come into effect from 1 April, and will support around 142,000 families with a boost of $14 per fortnight on average.
• Around 52,000 students will receive additional assistance. A single person over 24 receiving the Student Allowance will gain an additional $22 a fortnight.
• Over 435,000 working age beneficiaries will get increased support. A single person over 25 years old on Jobseeker Support will receive an additional $22 a fortnight. A couple with children will receive an additional $40 a fortnight (on top of the family tax credit increase).

“These changes from 1 April build on existing cost-of-living support.

“Over 86,000 families have received the FamilyBoost childcare tax credit and FamilyBoost will continue to support eligible low-to-middle-income families with up to $120 per week towards their childcare costs.

“And tax relief delivered in July 2024 will continue to benefit around 1.9 million households by $60 a week on average.

“The Government is acutely conscious that the conflict in the Middle East is causing pain for Kiwis at the pump, and is leading to increased costs for businesses, goods and services across our economy.  We have been upfront in acknowledging that the fall-out from these global events is likely to drive New Zealand’s inflation rate higher and our growth rate lower than previously forecast.

“We know that responding with large, untargeted government spending programmes could make things worse for Kiwis by adding even more pressure to inflation and debt. We are making careful choices in order to protect New Zealand’s economic future. 

Nicola Willis says that April 1 also marks the start of changes to KiwiSaver to support Kiwis to save more for their first home and retirement.

“Default employee and employer contribution rates will increase from 3 per cent to 3.5 per cent. This means Kiwis who choose to contribute more will be matched by their employers and able to grow their savings further.

“We recognise that many Kiwis will not feel able to make that choice right now. We have safeguarded their flexibility by ensuring KiwiSavers will be able to opt back down to the current 3 per cent contribution rate, if they choose.

“These KiwiSaver changes are all about lifting savings and helping Kiwis become more financially secure in the longer run,” Nicola Willis says. 

“Every choice we make now carries longer-term consequences. The Government will continue to be disciplined with every decision we make.

“While we can’t control global oil prices or overseas conflicts, we can take steps to ease the pressure on working families with targeted, responsible support.

“Sticking to our careful economic plan is how we can best get New Zealand and New Zealanders through this latest global shock while protecting New Zealand’s future.”

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Advocacy groups are supporting the government’s U-turn on minimum size limits for commercial fishers, but still want the government to consider killing the Fisheries Amendment Bill entirely.

Meanwhile, Seafood New Zealand says it is ironic the change has resulted in an outcome that is “not great for the environment”, and doesn’t provide the incentive to avoid catching small fish.

The Fisheries Amendment Bill – as drafted – would have ditched most commercial size limits, effectively allowing commercial vessels to land and sell baby fish, including snapper and tarakihi.

Recreational fishers argued the changes would decimate future populations.

Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has argued the change would prevent wastage, but was forced into a major U-turn over his plans.

As recently as Monday, he was entirely unapologetic about the change, describing critics as just “noisy voices”. But on Wednesday, coalition parties announced on social media that they had listened to public feedback and would no longer proceed.

ITM Fishing Show host Matt Watson told RNZ’s First Up it was a start and called it a “win” for demonstrating what “people power can do”.

However, he said while the bill had “one of the terrible things taken out of it”, it hadn’t been “thrown out”.

“There is a lot more stuff in there that is equally as bad, if not worse.

“There’s still legalised fish dumping in there. There is still reduction in fines for fishes that overfish their quotas, there’s a removal of environmental considerations, and it does nothing to move us away from destructive fishing methods.”

He called on New Zealanders to “stay vigilant”.

LegaSea – a non profit organisation dedicated to restoring the marine environment – said the minimum size limit proposal was just clickbait.

Project lead Sam Woolford told RNZ the change was too little too late. He said if there was an issue with the amount of fish being caught, or the techniques being used, that should be dealt with first, rather than legislating an outcome.

“It’s completely unacceptable that it’s taken this huge public outcry for the government to pay attention.

“It’s particularly unreasonable they think removing one small aspect of this legislation is going to placate New Zealanders.”

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) was also concerned with other changes included in the bill, including the siloing of environmental considerations.

ELI director research and legal Dr Matt Hall said as a whole, the bill systematically weakened sustainability provisions in the current Fisheries Act.

He said the bill could lead to impacts of fishing on the ecosystem being ignored, the use of non-regulatory measures to potentially justify higher take, and the strict limitations on judicial review of fisheries decisions.

Hall said the changes were contrary to New Zealand’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

But Seafood New Zealand chief executive Lisa Futschek told RNZ she was disappointed because the proposal would have strengthened the incentives for commercial fishers to avoid catching small fish.

“We don’t want to catch small fish, our processors don’t want to process small fish, and this proposal would have provided incentives not to catch small fish.”

She said the change would have meant those catching small fish would have needed to balance that fish against their quota: “In other words, they would have to pay for it.

“As it turns out, removing that clause means that the status quo remains. That is, fishers that catch small fish, return them to the sea, as they were required to do under the legislation – and they don’t pay for it.”

She said the proposed changes were “net positive for the environment and for sustainability of our resource”.

Asked about the coalition referencing feedback it had received in making the decision, she said fisheries and seafood were “a very emotive topic”.

“They are part of our culture and our heritage, and understandably, people are passionate about it, and they want to have their say in this situation.”

She said the level of disinformation around what the clause was seeking to achieve led to a whole range of speculation around the motives behind the change, “which were frankly wrong”.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has taken the first major step in rebuilding New Zealand’s senior secondary qualifications system, with Cabinet agreeing to the structure of a new qualification system to replace NCEA following consultation, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   

“This is the first of two major milestones that make up a carefully sequenced set of decisions to design a modern qualification system. Our new qualification will be a credible measure of student progress and achievement against the curriculum that parents, employers and universities can trust. 

“Curriculum sets out the knowledge and skills students should learn. Qualifications should accurately recognise that learning. When those two things aren’t aligned, students are the ones who miss out.  

“The changes are being developed alongside the Government’s new knowledge-rich national senior secondary curriculum so that what students learn and how they are assessed are properly aligned. 

“We are ambitious for young New Zealanders and believe they deserve a qualification system built on high expectations that is internationally comparable. 

“The shortfalls of NCEA are well socialised and longstanding. NCEA has become increasingly fragmented, difficult to understand, and too easy to game. Too often students have been able to gain piecemeal credits without developing the knowledge and skills they need to succeed beyond school. 

“The 2024 ERO report on NCEA level 1 found three in five teachers and almost half of leaders reported NCEA Level 1 is an unreliable measure of students’ knowledge and skills. 

“We asked teachers, parents and the community what they thought about replacing NCEA and, with more than 10,000 people having their say, there was strong support for structural change to the qualifications, particularly around NCEA Level 1.   

“So we are building a new system that is clearer, more consistent across schools and internationally comparable so that when a student earns a qualification it genuinely signals they are ready for the next step and reflects what they know and can do. 

“Cabinet has agreed an initial package outlining the structural components of our new secondary qualification system. These include: 

• Replacing NCEA with a new secondary qualifications system with two levels over two years at Years 12 and 13. 
• Introducing subject-based assessment for Years 12 and 13, ensuring students are assessed on whole curriculum subjects.  
• Integrating industry-led subjects into the senior curriculum, providing a single qualification pathway.  
• Removing NCEA Level 1 and replacing it with deeper, curriculum-driven learning in Year 11. This will better prepare students for the qualification in Years 12 and 13.  
• Introducing a Foundational Award recognising students’ achievement in literacy and numeracy at a Year 11 curriculum level. 
• A requirement that all Year 11 students study English | Te Reo Rangatira and Mathematics | Pāngarau from 2028.  

“Students will be able to sit the Foundational Award when they demonstrate the required literacy and numeracy capability, typically at Year 11 level. 

“The Foundational Award is designed as a stepping stone into senior secondary qualifications. The basics matter. This award is a strong indicator of readiness to engage with the Year 12 and Year 13 qualification and basic competency in reading, writing and maths. 

Next steps 

“This is the first tranche in the design of the new qualification system. By taking decisions in two tranches, we have the time to engage with the sector and undertake detailed design work with the new Technical Advisory Group, on the more technical aspects of the proposal. 

Tranche two includes achievement requirements for Year 12 and 13, information about grading, the balance of internal versus and external assessments, weighting of exams, moderation, comparability, and complex decisions.

“These questions are interlinked and complex.   

“It is important to get the balance right to be aspirational for all students, while making sure we are setting them up for success.  

“Also, during the consultation process, it was suggested it be made compulsory for schools and kura to require Year 11 students to take Science | Pūtaiao. I will be seeking further advice on this.”  

The new system will be phased in: 

• 2026: Finalise senior secondary curriculum and develop assessment exemplars. Finalise qualification design.
• 2027: Preparatory year of assessment and PLD.
• 2028: NCEA Level 1 removed, Year 11 curriculum only, Foundational Award introduced.
• 2029: New Year 12 qualification and curriculum starts.
• 2030: New Year 13 qualification and curriculum starts. 

“No student will need to switch between NCEA and the new qualifications system during their schooling.  The first students to participate are the current Year 9 cohort. 

“It’s important that we get the reform of secondary school qualifications right, so we will continue to engage with the sector to ensure we achieve the best outcomes for teachers and students.  

“I expect to take advice on these technical design decisions before Budget,” says Ms Stanford.  

Curriculum and Assessment Roadshow  

To further support schools as these reforms progress, there will be a national curriculum and assessment roadshow for secondary school leaders in June this year.

“The roadshow will help schools prepare for the new subject-based qualification structure and the knowledge rich curriculum. 

“These events will support leaders to understand the changes, build capability, and share implementation approaches across the country,” says Ms Stanford.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) has warned it will not have enough government funding to cover all domestic enrolments next year – the third consecutive year funding was expected to fall short of demand for tertiary education.

The warning came in the commission’s guidance to institutions applying for government funding in 2027.

“Investment planning for 2027 is taking place in a very challenging fiscal environment. We expect demand to remain strong and available funding to be unlikely to match it. Trade-offs will be required and most providers will see reduced investment,” it said.

It said the commission would base its funding decisions on factors including evidence of improvements in student pass rates, financial performance, and institutions’ contribution to the network of tertiary courses provided around the country.

The commission also warned some institutes could lose some, or even all, funding.

“We expect to actively disinvest where these requirements are not met,” it said.

“In exceptional circumstances we may disinvest from all [of] your provision.”

Last year, the commission said it had enough funding for 99 percent of expected enrolments in 2025 and in 2026 and would use its reserves to provide funding for up to 102 percent of forecast enrolments this year.

However, 2025’s domestic enrolments exceeded forecasts and the commission said it was still calculating the result for that year.

“The final 2025 position across the entire tertiary sector is still being processed as we work through the annual wash up process over the next couple of months,” it said.

The commission said the government’s Budget could affect the outlook for this year.

“Unfunded learner numbers for 2026 will not be able to be forecast until after Budget ’26 decisions are taken and TEC receives it first data return on enrolments,” it said.

“The signalling in the plan guidance document reflects the current situation where the government is operating in a very tight fiscal environment and where economic conditions, the job market and demographics are driving enrolment growth. The sector needs to be prepared that not all programmes they wish to deliver can be fully funded with the focus being on supporting programmes in priority areas.”

The guidance also cautioned against rapid growth in foreign enrolments.

“Providers need to ensure growth in international education is sustainable, and that the quality of education and educational experience for international students and domestic learners is maintained or enhanced,” it said.

“This will support New Zealand’s reputation as a competitive global provider of high-quality education… Any potential negative impacts, such as on placement capacity, need to be carefully managed.”

Universities New Zealand chief executive Chris Whelan said historically governments had funded all enrolments because they did not want students to be turned away from courses.

“The government has funded the forecast numbers, the problem is actual numbers keep exceeding forecast,” he said.

Whelan said institutions could cope with small numbers of unfunded students, but not with large numbers and the effect varied depending on what proportion of a student’s education was covered by government subisdies.

In some subjects, the split was 50/50 between student fees and government subsidies, in others it was more like 33/67.

Whelan said as a result some institutions were refusing unfunded enrolments.

“Certainly I’m hearing, even though it’s quite early, that is happening in some places where universities are discouraging enrolments because they are unfunded places… And in other places, of course, universities are simply saying, yep, we can take on a smallish number of unfunded places.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

After a million hours of labour, Te Rua – Archive New Zealand’s brand new Wellington building – is now open.

The 10-level, $290 million building is described as one of the world’s most technologically advanced archive protection facilities and forms part of Te Kahu, a new heritage campus.

The campus, which sees Archives New Zealand and the National Library physically joined, includes Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision and the Alexander Turnbull Library in its wider net.

Delivered on budget and on time, Te Rua has been held up as a win for public-private partnerships, but where the nation’s archives will ultimately be stored – and how much it will cost to do so – remains unclear.

Preserving windows into the past

Under the bright lights of the brand new Te Rua facility, research archivist Shaun McGuire points to a cluster of carefully laid out black and white photographs of the 488 Squadron.

“It was a fighter squadron that was sent to Singapore prior to the outbreak of hostilities with Japan. As you can see from their general posture, they’re green as grass and not particularly military,” he said.

“This chap here playing in the puddle – because it’s monsoonish – is Pete Gifford and the fellow playing with him is Len Farr. They’re both pilot officers.”

McGuire said the Brewster Buffalo planes they flew were outdated by World War II, and while Peter Gifford survived the war, others were not so lucky.

The photographs of the young men are but a taste of the historical material that will eventually be housed in Te Rua.

The bronze-accented state-of-the-art archive facility – boasting more than 19,000sqm of floor space and 90km of storage under tightly controlled environmental condition – will ultimately be home to millions of photographs, films and records, documenting the nation’s political, cultural and social history.

According to Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden, the new facility could not come soon enough.

“I think it’s a really awesome day for New Zealanders because it means that our nation’s history will be preserved. And I have to tell you, a couple of years ago when I went to visit the old archives building I could feel for myself that it was damp and that it was falling apart.”

She said it was “wonderful” that country will have preserved archival material for centuries to come.

“For all our children’s children.”

A public-private partnership

Van Velden, who is also deputy leader of the ACT Party, heralded the facility as a win for public-private partnerships over successive governments, with the contract signed under the previous Labour government.

While the taonga within the building and its fit-out is publicly owned, the building base and land belongs to Canadian Mutual Fund, PSPIB/CPPIB Waiheke Inc. and is managed by Australasian real estate assets manager Dexus – also the developer.

The 25-year lease agreement with the Crown has the option to extend for another 25 years.

A spokesperson for the Department of Internal Affairs said the rent has been fixed – with yearly increases agreed upfront and budgeted for – but the amount can’t be made public due to commercial sensitivity.

Van Velden said given the building’s specifications it would be unlikely for the lease not to be renewed.

She said collaborations between business and the public sector, highlighted the private sector’s expertise.

“Government has a lot of interest and expertise in particular areas, but they’re not building things all the time. They’re not experts in seismic strengthening.”

Dexus portfolio manager for New Zealand Phill Stanley said the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016 was a “learning curve for everyone”.

The site, which previously housed the quake-damaged Defence House, now featured a building on 36 base isolators that could drift up to 1.3m horizontally and up to 300mm vertically, during an earthquake, he said.

In order to meet UNESCO standards, climate control within the building must hold within ±1°C for at least 48 hours in the event of a power failure.

“In layman’s terms, we have built the most beautiful chilly-bin on base isolators.”

He said the project had been a career highlight and hinted at more partnerships with the Crown in the pipeline.

Space for taonga unknown

The relocation of more than 150,000 containers of historical material from the Mulgrave Street facility is currently underway.

A massive undertaking, that chief archivist Poumanaaki Anahera Morehu hoped would be completed by December this year.

However, Te Rua won’t be able to hold all the material – and how much it can take remains to be seen.

National Librarian Te Pouhuaki Rachel Esson said while there were estimates, they won’t truly know until the material has been shifted.

“Part of the process of bringing things over is we’re rehousing them. So some things have been in boxes that aren’t quite as good as they could be, so they’re being put in new boxes.

“Sometimes things have been crammed into a box so they might be split out into two. We’re just not quite sure yet exactly.”

Morehu said the new facility was never going to house everything contained in Mulgrave Street and anticipated the wider heritage campus – Te Kahu – would absorb overflow.

She said access to the archives was just as important as preservation.

“It’s all good to preserve it and hold on to it, but it’s no good if nobody’s got access to it.

“This is creating that opportunity and the campus is creating that opportunity, while it opens the doors to other facilities to think about how we play a role as archives and libraries in making this more collaborative and sharing.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The local government minister has called Wellington’s mayor for an explanation of the huge water bills that residents are facing – and are forecast to hit almost $7000 a year by the end of the decade.

Wellington’s new water entity Tiaki Wai is a council-controlled organisation taking over Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua City Councils water assets from July.

It announced this morning that residents will face an average nearly 15 percent hike in water charges this coming financial year – from $2100 to $2400.

Those bills may rise by nearly a quarter the following year – and keep increasing – to reach an estimated $6800 per year for water services by 2036 as the water entity tries to fix old, failing infrastructure.

Local government minister Simon Watts said those costs were higher than he was expecting.

“I’m concerned for Wellington ratepayers again, you know we’ve got a long string of issues in this area.”

Watts said the plan that Tiaki Wai presented to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and the water regulator last year did not forecast such high costs.

He said he phoned Wellington’s Mayor Andrew Little about this today.

“I outlined to him that we received a plan from you which outlined a profile of cost increases, and as a result the entity has now published a price which is not in the plan, which is much higher, I need to understand, and have an explanation around that.”

A Tiaki Wai spokesperson said the Water Services Delivery plan it presented in August last year was based on the best available information at the time, and the organisation will continue to review its costs as investment plans develop.

Little said Tiaki Wai was responsible for what it sent to DIA last year, and he did not control or veto the organisation’s decisions under the new system.

He said he shared the minister’s concerns about bills, but the government campaigned on this model under its Local Water Done Well policy.

He said he will be scrutinising Tiaki Wai’s performance and pricing closely.

“If the increases follow the path that Tiaki Wai are saying, then people are going to expect high quality, that leaks are repaired quickly, also that they can contact their water company, at any time of the day.”

He wanted the Commerce Commission to be granted the power to intervene if water entity’s bills became unreasonable.

Watts did not confirm if the Commerce Commission would have the power to step in over sky-rocketing bills, but said he had called in the commission in this instance to work with Tiaki Wai and the councils over the projected prices.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said bills reaching nearly $7000 a year in a decade were horrendous, and could drive people away from the region.

“At those sort of prices, who’s going to be living here? I can’t pay $6000 in water, and $6000 in rates… we have to do something.”

She said while she supported the establishment of the water entity, and understood the scale of the work at hand, water charges still needed to be affordable.

Wellingtonians divided over jump in bills

Some Wellingtonians RNZ spoke to were worried about the charges due to cost of living pressures, while others said the region’s assets had to be fixed.

Dale said she did not look forward to the future knowing those charges lay ahead.

“That sounds pretty crap. I’m 28, so the way it will be, by the time I am 38, that doesn’t sound like I’ll be living a great life.”

But another resident Daniel Freese said the city had ignored failing assets for too long.

“I think it has to happen, I think we’re paying for under-investment over many years, and although it’s not good news, we just need to suck it up and pay for it.

“If we don’t pay now, we’re going have to pay later, and it’s going to be more.”

Resident Tom Arkell said he was keen to see water meters brought in for the city.

“I’d like to think we could bring in some pay-per-use water monitors, that we can actually incentivise people to use less water, and to track, and therefore they could pay within what they’re comfortable, rather than getting a fixed bill no matter how much water you use.”

Tiaki Wai is considering water meters, and the organisation expects they will take up to seven years to roll out across Wellington, and cost $590 million in total.

Peet yesterday told reporters the dire state of the region’s infrastructure could no longer be ignored after decades of under-investment.

“We know we’ve got a lot of leaks, we know we’ve got compliance issues with wastewater, and we all know that stormwater continues to be a significant challenge for many cities – but Wellington in particular.”

Peet said fixing the failed Moa Point plant – which has been spewing raw sewage into the sea for nearly six weeks – will be a top priority.

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