Arguments over water look like taking over from oil as the next big thing worldwide.
Now, Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere is promoting a plan to down-sell half of Auckland City-owned Watercare.
The recent history of privatised water rights to multinational companies like Veolia from France, is frightening. I mention Veolia because they are present in New Zealand, hovering, waiting for a chance to grab any available water rights, with rights in Wellington, Queenstown, Whanganui and Papakura, yet their record around the world is very distressing. Why would we touch them?
Space precludes a long story about disasters in Europe, South America, North America and elsewhere where water has been privatised, but some of the tragedies are covered in several books including: ‘Water, Politics & Money’ – a reality check on privatisation, ‘Thirst’ – global corporations like Nestle, Suez and Veolia buying up local water sources, ‘Blue Gold’ – the real and worsening global water crisis and transnational corporations profiting from it, ‘ Privatising Water’ – governance failure and the world’s urban water crisis.
In one small town in Texas, Beverley McGuire described her tap going dry. She could see nine oil wells from her back porch. Now, she says, nearly 15 million people are under some form of water rationing, partly because so much water is used for shale gas fracking. So, plenty of oil, but no water.
A number of billionaires have bought property in the very south of South America around Tierra del Fuego because the land is rich in pristine spring water, exactly the same quality water that New Zealand is allowing foreign companies to steal from our children and grandchildren.
Three case studies involving Veolia follow.
In February 2015, Flint, Michigan, hired Veolia to address water quality. It is now suing Veolia, alleging it worsened the crisis, and Flint accuses Veolia of “callously and fraudulently” dismissing medical concerns.
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Veolia’s management of the Water Authority resulted in the use of a cheaper corrosion chemical without the required approval, violating state regulations and leading to lead contamination.
Under Veolia’s operation of Plymouth, Massachusetts’ water system, 10 million gallons of raw sewage flooded Plymouth in 2015. Veolia paid a $1.6 million settlement.
Water privatisation has led to significant rate hikes, labour cuts and abuses, serious health and safety violations, dangerous cost cutting that puts public health in jeopardy and failure to invest in necessary infrastructure upgrades. These are large companies whose major object is to make profit – often with considerable downsides for consumers, especially the poor. Water is a basic human right. Don’t let a multinational takeover happen in Auckland. (JOHN ELLIOTT)
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