There's growing disquiet about how Government is dealing with freshwater and its future control.

Mr Key is on record as saying no-one owns the water and in effect the government administers freshwater, its use and allocation as guardian and trustee for all Kiwis.

Those who claim government or its representatives have held secret (confidential) public excluded meetings with tribes to the detriment of all other citizens are correct. Whether government itself does deals with tribes over freshwater or achieves this through pressure placed on Regional Councils to accommodate part-Maori interests is of little moment.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council Draft Regional Water Quality Plan Change is underway and this BOPRC outfit is so beholden to Maori interests, it is a foregone conclusion that part-Maori will receive race-based and co-management preferential treatment to the detriment of other Kiwis.

Just checkout BOPRC ‘Fact sheet for Maori', particularly Paragraph (7) Greater recognition of role of Tangata Whenua on Fresh Water Management and Paragraph (8) Water Management areas and opportunities to engage with Maori.

See also ‘Keep Water Kiwi' advert( visit NZCPR Website) for full details and if
you want to scare the living daylights out of yourself, check out ‘Freshwater Iwi Leadership Group' website.

One Cabinet Minister says, 'Government has made it plain no-one owns water, but the government has acknowledged that iwi have rights and interests in Freshwater and Government and Iwi Groups are exploring these.” Control of water effectively equals ownership.

This should focus locals' attention on BOP's National MP's Bridges, McLay, Muller and Tolley who are not being up-front with citizens. You should be outraged so don't put up with it, demand a referendum on freshwater – after all it was good enough for Mr Key to spend $27 million on the inane flag change fiasco to divert attention away from TPP, freshwater and economic issues.

R Paterson, Tauranga