Despite every other party in Parliament voting against the highly unpopular Water Services Entities Bill last week, the Labour Government is now trying to sneak through 275 major amendments to the legislation on the last sitting day of the Parliament year.

The new bill – which was announced just three hours after the first one was passed – is over 200 pages, which more than doubles the original Act, and is an insult to the over 88,000 people who submitted on the first piece of legislation.

The Water Services Legislation Bill adds even more layers of bureaucracy, with mountains of management plans, compliance plans, and regulations. Worse, the Government is wanting to establish compliance and enforcement departments in each of the new mega water entities to impose the pricing of water - and a hefty fines regime!

The National Party absolutely rejects this additional, unwanted piece of legislation and will repeal and replace Three Waters if we are elected to government next year!