Watch out NZ!! The commercialisation/privatisation of NZ water services as introduced in 1997, by United Water in Papakura, and Metro Water in Auckland City, is spreading.

• COROMANDEL Waste Management has grabbed the water services - right under the nose of a certain leading Greens!

• FAR NORTH DISTRICT COUNCIL - Currently receiving tenders to privatise by franchise all reticulated water services.

• WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL - Planning to privatise by franchise contract

• WAIPA DISTRICT COUNCIL - Completed a tendering process two years ago, but decided to hold off implementation until after the local body elections of last month.

• WELLJNGTON REGION - The regional sewerage plant is in the hands of Anglian Water of the UK - in a BOT private/public/partnership arrangement.

• NELSON - Similarly, has a ppp arrangement for sewerage.

• AUCKLAND REGION is still partway through the Water Review, which presents commercialised models as all three of the "Options" promoteded by the review.

• ANYWHERE ELSE?? Please keep us posted with goings on in your area.

• We have solid reason to believe that the water wars in Auckland have been staying the hand of other local bodies throughout NZ. Now they seem to gaining the courage to try and foist these measures onto citizens.

• WATER COMMERCIALISATION AND PRIVATISATION:-

- is a primary aim of the World Bank and the corporations they serve

- invariably introduces user charges that thump poor and working people, while property taxes (rates) decrease massively for the owners of valuable real estate.

- places essential water services beyond the democratic reach of the public when the councils "divest" their responsibilities.

- contradicts the Human Rights Declaration in relation to water being a prime necessity.

- will become even more promoted through GATS Agreement - strengthened last week by the WTP at Qatar.

• WATER IS THE ESSENCE OF LIFE - KEEP WATER SERVICES OUT OF CORPORATE HANDS!!

WE ARE STILL FIGHTING IN AUCKLAND - WE WILL NOT GIVE UP!!

THE LABOUR/ALLIANCE GOVERNMENT IS NOT STANDING WITH THE PEOPLE ON THIS -

CAN WE COUNT ON YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY WILL YOU MAKE A STAND??

http://www.water-pressure-group.org.nz/

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© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>