|
Resolution
number PPK/2021/206
MOVED by Chairperson B Catchpole, seconded by Deputy
Chairperson J Robinson:
That
the Papakura Local Board:
a) provide
the following feedback for inclusion in Auckland Council’s submission
on the Economic Regulation and Consumer Protection for Three Waters Services
in New Zealand discussion paper:
The need for economic regulation
1)
The board supports
the need to regulate the new water authorities to ensure they are responsive
to the communities they serve.
The type of
regulation and who would pay the costs
2)
The board supports
the proposal that the regulator be a price-quality regulator, provided
“quality” includes factors such as the social, cultural,
environmental, and the financial wellbeing of communities.
3)
The board supports
the proposal that the administrative costs of the regulator be recovered
through levies as this is a straightforward, transparent, and standard way of
recovering these costs providing that the regulations are designed to ensure
they are net beneficial to consumers.
What parts of
three waters the regulation would apply to
4)
The board contends
that without further information it is difficult to understand how the
provision of stormwater could be economically regulated or to demonstrate how
the cost of that regulation is net beneficial to consumers.
Should the regulation apply to all providers
5)
The board supports the
proposal that small community or private schemes should only be regulated if
the cost of regulation is outweighed by the benefits.
How and when should regulation be implemented
6)
The board supports
a graduated approach to implementing a conventional price-quality path,
providing that this considers the social, cultural, environmental, and the
financial wellbeing of communities.
What should be
the statutory objectives of the regulation regime
7)
The board supports
statutory objectives that would:
i)
incentivise
innovation and investment
ii)
improve efficiency
iii)
share efficiency
gains with consumers
iv)
considers the
impacts of climate change
v)
considers Te mana o
te Wai.
What should
compliance and enforcement look like
8)
The board supports
the need for effective compliance and enforcement to ensure the regulation is
effective.
Who the
economic regulator should be
9)
The board has no
views on who the economic regulator should be.
Additional
consumer protections and how those are regulated
10)
The board supports
the provisions in the proposal to ensure the regulator is responsive to its
customers.
11)
The board requests
provisions to ensure the regulator is responsive to the plans and priorities
of local communities as expressed through the local boards.
12)
The board requests
further consideration of the role of local boards in advocating for their
communities and how this will be reflected in the statutory objectives of the
regulator.
CARRIED
|
