The Bills, Petitions and Papers Committee is still working on its final report on the Keep Our Water Free Petition.

Clerk of Parliament Tangata Vainerere said that public submissions on the petition had been closed.

“The Bills, Petitions and Papers Committee has completed witness sessions on the Water Petition and is still reviewing, considering, deliberating and working on their final report,” Vainerere told Cook Islands News

“I am not able to provide any comments while the Report is not tabled in Parliament.”

The ‘Keep Our Water Free’ petition that was tabled in Parliament in September is requesting the collection, treatment and reticulation of water continue without tariffs and ongoing-charges to users.

The Rarotonga water authority, To Tatou Vai (TTV), has implemented water usage charges for users starting on October 1, 2024.

The Bills, Petitions and Papers Committee heard public submissions early last month.

Andy Kirkwood of water lobby group Te Vai Ora Maori and Joyana Finch, the petition committee spokesperson, were among the first to make submissions to the Committee chaired by Manihiki MP Akaiti Puna. The Committee includes MPs Tukaka Ama, Teokotai Herman, Tetangi Matapo and Robert Heather as well as Opposition leader Tina Browne and Independent MP Stephen Matapo, who were not present.

Finch told the Committee that the petition had collected one of the highest numbers of signatures in Cook Islands history.

She said this was the third public objection against the user-pays model. In 2014, there was a Te Mato Vai Petition where 1946 people signed and said no to tariffs and in 2020, the Anti Chemical Petition had 1433 signatures saying no to tariffs. The Keep Our Water Free Petition gathered 3207 signatures against water tariffs.

“The public don’t want to pay for water, for ten years people have been speaking out against tariffs.”

The Keep Our Water Free Committee said they have not yet heard back from the Bills, Petitions and Papers Committee regarding their petition.

It said there should also be an opportunity for the wider community to make a submission.

“It seems that only the Keep Our Water Free committee, TTV (To Tatou Vai), and Tere Carr have provided a response. We’ve not seen any public notice.”