Brendan Burns has been warbling about water again, trying to make matters awkward for our splendid Miniser of Health, Tony Ryall. Dunno what he fears. An outbreak of bubonic plague or some such.
Burns popped up at Question Time to ask Ryall what assurances he could give smaller New Zealand communities on the safety of their drinking water, now that he has announced a 3-year delay in implementing minimum water quality standards.
Eketahuna is one such community. Alf accordingly paid close attention to the goings-on in the House, not something he would normally do when Burns is holding the floor.
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) : The assurance I can give is that the local councils, which represent their local communities and are responsible for water supplies, are well aware of their responsibilities to both consumers and ratepayers under the drinking-water legislation,
Brendon Burns: Does the Minister agree with the Prime Minister, who only today told Federated Farmers’ national conference that “in many parts of the country water quality is poor or deteriorating”; if so, when will he uphold his ministry’s commitment to make water safe to drink for the one in five New Zealanders who are currently at risk?
Hon TONY RYALL: Of course I agree with what the Prime Minister said. Local government is concerned about the impact of compliance on people’s rates and water charges at a time of considerable financial pressure. The local councils have told us that the cost of compliance would significantly exceed the previous official estimates of between $50 million and $275 million. Local government has suggested that the burden could be around $800 million.
Alf’s colleague, Dr Paul Hutchison, then asked about the response there had been to the Government agreeing to local body requests for additional breathing space.
Good question. Ryall could say there had been a trickle of predictable criticism, but this had been overwhelmed by the “flood of support from local authorities and communities from one end of the nation to the other.”
The President of Local Government New Zealand, Lawrence Yule, welcomed the decision. So did the Mayor of Hurunui District, who wholeheartedly welcomed it.
The Mayor of Marlborough District also welcomed it, and, further, said that the previous Government – Burns’ mob – had gone over the top on this matter. The list goes on. Burns’ own mayor told Ryall this move would be welcomed.
But Burns can be a badgering bugger, and he bounced back to ask: “What does the Minister say to the many small communities such as Cheviot, in the Hurunui District of North Canterbury—to which he has referred—which for 5 years has had people getting sick, with the result that the Canterbury Medical Officer of Health threatened earlier this year to shut down the water supply as a medical emergency?”
Hon TONY RYALL: These communities are represented by their local councils, and these local councils have requested this action. The councils are worried about the huge financial impact on ratepayers during the worst recession since the 1930s. There is nothing to stop the councils from taking action.
Brendon Burns: Does the Minister agree with the Minister for Regulatory Reform, who has variously described the minimum drinking-water standards as “ridiculous”, and as “inefficient and superfluous” regulation that needs to be removed?
Hon TONY RYALL: It is not for me to disagree with the Minister for Regulatory Reform. I think Mr Hide is exactly right when he says that everyone is in favour of pristine water quality, but that is not the question here. This is a matter of balancing the benefits and the risks with a significant financial impact on ratepayers during the worst recession since the 1930s. This position is overwhelmingly supported by the elected representatives of communities around the country.
Alf is a champion of balance. Burns – it would seem – is not.
