Right to Water
Press Statement
for immediate release

19 March 2009

IT'S RAINING, IT'S POURING. WHY THE RUSH **

Greater Wellington Regional Council’s call for local councils to take
urgent action on water is peculiar, says Right to Water.

In a media briefing on water supply issues in the Wellington area
yesterday, GWRC chair Fran Wilde put city councils on notice for urgent
action on water supply.

“NIWA reports a summer with well above average rainfall. We’re wondering
if the urgency is more to do with the recent increase in lobbying by
business sector and the water industry for compulsory metering and
direct charging”, said Right to Water spokesperson Maria McMillan.

“Fran Wilde says metering is one of the options councils can look at.
Good decisions can’t be made in a hurry, and we hope that creating an
environment of panic isn’t being used to rush through a user-pays
system”, said Ms McMillan.

“Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast has already talked favourably of
water metering, but Wellington City Council and other councils in the
region need to keep open minds on the issue, ensure proper consultation
and give thought to the dire social impact of metering”, she said.

“Like most user-pays schemes metering would hurt poor households the
most. Those on low incomes can’t use less water just because they have
less money but they’d still have to pay. Even before the recession, one
in five New Zealand children were living in poverty. Making people pay
for an essential service would only exacerbate poverty”, she said.

ENDS

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