Troubled Waters in New Zealand

Blessed with an extraordinary abundance of freshwater, New Zealand faces complex governance challenges of simultaneously protecting public health, powering the country, bolstering its economy, and honoring obligations to its Indigenous population—all which are water-dependent. In this article, we discuss New Zealand’s water quality challenges, water governance structure, and analyzed the framing of its water issues and polices by the country’s two main parties and two key interest groups before and after a major contamination crisis in Havelock North, which caused widespread illness. While the 2016 Havelock North drinking water contamination crisis was illustrative of New Zealand’s laissez-faire approach toward freshwater quality and its impact on environmental and human health, we found different frames by the two major political parties about this fundamental resource. Examining this event as a catalyst, we consider its effect on framing and policy.