In the letter published just before Christmas, the council urged Ms Mahuta to "demonstrate leadership and transparency in the delivery of this reform programme" and re-establish a "full programme of meaningful engagement" with New Zealanders before taking any further steps.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said he and his fellow elected members felt compelled to express their "significant disappointment" and uphold their promise to oppose a central government mandate "strongly and actively".
"This council is in no way questioning the need for safe drinking water, to protect our precious environment and ensure effective Maori partnership as expressed through these proposed reforms," Mr Boult said.
"But public and stakeholder consultation needs to remain at the heart of such important decisions.
"These reforms have the potential to affect generations to come and should be underpinned by meaningful and genuinely open engagement."
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Interesting comments from Mr Boult given Hawea has non-compliant water since 2017 and nothing fixed, also consultation went out the window with the Wanaka airport lease? All a little rich for my liking. Queenstown is not the only town in the district.
The resistance and anti from Councils amuses me given they don't give any reasons. They state ratepayers will lose assets. True. But these assets will now be owned by taxpayers = usually the same people.
Is it the Councils use water infrastructure assets as collateral for loans - which burdens ratepayers??
The nuts & bolts is that water quality is substandard & mostly in need of replacing or upgrading throughout NZ and there is no coordination..