Invercargill City Council is to make a submission to the Government on the Three Waters Reform Agenda.

Councillors voted to make a submission to the Water Services Entity Bill, the first of three pieces of legislation which will give effect to the Government’s Three Waters Reform agenda, at a meeting of the Infrastructural Services Committee on Tuesday.

The submission will outline Council’s concerns relating to ownership of water infrastructure, representation of the community, impact on the Council’s ability to support place making and development and affordability for communities.

Council Infrastructural Services Committee Chair, Councillor Ian Pottinger, said Council was not supportive of the Government’s Three Water Reforms.

“The reforms are not in the interests of the Invercargill and Bluff communities. Council believes these reforms will result in higher bills and reduced investment in essential water infrastructure, which is the complete opposite of what the Government intends”, he said.

Members of the public may make their own submission to this Bill, which are due by July 22.

Submissions can be made online at parliament.nz

Council’s submission can be found online at icc.govt.nz/three-waters-reform