Dear Editor, In reply to comment made by TTV, April 29. By law, To Tatou Vai is a business. The product is the supply of water.

In the pursuit of corporate goals, the water authority's trail of attempted transgressions include unpermitted development, unregulated payment, unauthorised expenditure, and unfair trading. Such conduct is not prescribed by the Act. Strategic direction is set by the TTV Board of Directors.

Implementing a user-pays system has resulted in a rogue state-owned enterprise. For genuine accountability the law needs to change: to return TTV to the public service. Sections of the Act require revision. Drafting an amendment takes time. New governance is also necessary.

In responding to the 'Keep Our Water Free' petitioners, the select committee has directed Hon. Albert Nicholas to take the appropriate steps: to 'allow TTV to focus on operational efficiency rather than revenue generation'.

To be clear, TTV cannot lawfully generate revenue from a connection until a meter has been installed. TTV has signalled intent to pursue the island-wide water metering project until 'the law be changed such that it is illegal or inappropriate to continue'. The plan is to have another 3000 units in the ground by the end of the next financial year. However, to do so will require appropriation of an estimated $3 million of tax-payer funds in the upcoming annual budget.

We now call upon all MPs to enforce an effective moratorium on metering. When it comes to the budget, fund operations, but: "no capital for TTV". If there's no money, then no meters.

Justine Matatoa Flanagan

KOWF organising committee

Response:

Dear Editor, Thank you for giving TTV the opportunity to respond to Ms Flanagan’s letter. Given it is almost entirely hype and hyperbole TTV does not see anything, which needs to be responded to.

Brian Mason, Chair, To Tatou Vai Authority.