Water, Real Democracy and Deep Sea Oil to Feature in MANA Campaign
The possibilities of user-pays for water, a super city for Wellington and pollution of the sea and coastline if drilling
for oil goes ahead are the main concerns of MANA candidate for the Greater Wellington Regional Council, Ariana
Paretutanganui-Tamati.
She believes that if a proposal in a report from the Local Government infrastructure Efficiency Task Force, which is
chaired by Regional Council Chair Fran Wilde, to introduce user-pays and compulsory water meters for domestic water
users is implemented many people on low incomes will struggle even harder to make ends meet. She also fears that the
proposal will lead to the commercialisation of water.
Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati says that MANA supports participatory democracy, a system where people can take part at
neighbourhood level in making decisions about matters that affect them. She believes that the proposal for a two-tiered
system of government for Wellington that came from the Independent Review Panel that was appointed by the Regional
Council is very similar to the Auckland super-city, and this will mean less representation of the people and will lead
to the commercialisation of many services.
She is also very concerned that if central government allows deep-sea drilling for oil south of Wellington the sea could
be polluted and the Regional Council as the body responsible for inshore waters and the coast will be left with the
expense of cleaning up. Ultimately the burden will be put upon rate payers. “The recent earthquakes should be a huge
wake-up call to all Wellington residents. The risks of drilling for oil at unproven depths in an area that risks seismic
activity is too great.” says Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati. She will be pushing for Wellington Regional Council to place a
Moratorium on Fracking and formally oppose Deep Sea Oil Drilling.
Ms Paretutanganui-Tamati has a background in social and community work. She has been active in organising protests
against the sale of State assets, the GCSB Bill and drilling for deep-sea oil.
Her campaign will open at the Bucket Foundation in Cuba Mall at 2pm Saturday. She will be giving away free water from
our Wellington Springs.
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