How will Northland fix its water infrastructure? How will we be able to afford to? What alliances and partnerships are being formed? Will deadlines be met?

In our third episode of True North we speak with Far North mayor Moko Tepania about our region’s crumbling water infrastructure. With the demise of the Three Waters initiative that would have seen central government investing in the upgrade and modernisation of regional water infrastructure, where does that leave Northland’s Councils? And, more importantly, its ratepayers and businesses?

What are our Councils’ options in this post-Three Waters environment? What’s next for our water infrastructure, how will this be upgraded and how will these upgrades be paid for? How much government funding, if any, is available to subsidise the massive amount of expansion and modification that is required for the region’s water infrastructure?

Links to items referred to in the show:

BusinessDesk article: Central government churn worsens council credit ratings (paywalled)
https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/finance/central-government-policy-churn-drags-down-local-government-credit-ratings

BusinessDesk article: Growing infrastructure pipeline 'not translating into projects coming to market’
https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/infrastructure/growing-infrastructure-pipeline-not-translating-into-projects-coming-to-market

Electricity Authority news release: power retailers’ Consumer Care Obligations
https://www.ea.govt.nz/news/press-release/new-zealanders-have-new-rights-as-power-consumers/