- Guiding the creation of an alternative policy, and the political strategy to execute Communities 4 Local Democracy’s opposition
- Day-to-day role execution – filling the strategic and management roles required to keep the team on track, and make progress.
The Situation
The present Government’s Three Waters plan, which proposes to restructure water delivery across the country, has been almost universally opposed by the local government sector. A consortium of 31 opposing councils was unhappy with how their position was being communicated and managed. They wanted to come together to represent a united voice as Communities 4 Local Democracy, to influence the government to change its position.
Our Role
Communities 4 Local Democracy asked Malcolm to take up the role of project manager from start to finish, as well as create and lead their political and lobbying strategy. This involved bringing all parties together to craft a viable alternative policy. Once created, this new policy was unanimously accepted by all the councils involved. With Malcolm’s advice, Communities 4 Local Democracy proposed a widely acknowledged and credible alternative to the government’s Three Waters plan. This proposal would retain local authority ownership of those water assets, but would reform the sector to deliver better outcomes for consumers.
The Results
This project has placed these 31 councils in a much stronger position, established them as credible opponents, and forced the government to better justify their position in a way that has caused greater scrutiny by communities across the country. Communities 4 Local Democracy’s proposal has now been formally accepted by the opposition parties, and would be the preferred alternative if the government changes in the 2023 General Election.