A Sad Day for the Commons

The Rodney Hide authored Local Government Amendment Act was introduced to Parliament yesterday.

If passed the Bill allows councils to privatise water, says Right to Water.

Under Clause 32 of the Bill amendments to the Local Government Act 2002, ownership and control of water can be passed over to the private sector for 35 years. It also removes the specific protections that require local government to retain control of ownership and management of water if it enters into such contracts.

"This is the most common form of water privatisation in the world. Water privatisation of this type has led to increased costs, loss of accountability and environmental damage," said Right to Water spokesperson, Maria McMillan.

"The government is claiming that this isn’t about privatisation which is utterly dishonest," said Ms McMillan.

"These amendments are happening in a context of a vast global private water industry that has made billions of dollars through exactly these types of arrangements. And, throughout the world, these arrangements are described as privatisation," she said.

"Water does not belong in the marketplace nor in the hands of corporations. No-one should make profit from delivering the water that people need to live – to drink, wash, cook with and clean", she said.

"This is a sad day for the human right to water, and a sad day for the commons."

Government press release: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1004/S00417.htm Text of legislation: h
(see page 7)

ENDS

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