Cook Islands opposition raises concerns over water quality and fractured ties with NZ

The Cook Islands opposition says growing frustration over poor water quality and rising tariffs is fuelling wider discontent.

The Democratic Party says the funding freeze from New Zealand is just the latest sign that confidence in the government is slipping.

The party believes that tensions between Rarotonga and Wellington highlight issues within the country, especially concerning the government’s decision to introduce water tariffs.

In an interview on Pacific Mornings, Sholan Ivaiti, the party's candidate for Titi-Kaveka, says the introduction of tariffs has been met with dissatisfaction from local residents, given the ongoing poor quality of water.

“The issue we’ve got at the moment is the water quality hasn’t changed from the previous administration,” Ivaiti says. “They’ve been putting all these new pipes and so forth in place, but the quality of the water has not changed.”

Rarotonga’s water authority, To Tatou Vai, implemented tariffs in October of last year, which resulted in commercial users being charged NZ$34 a month for the first 50,000 litres of water, while residential users pay NZ$17 for the same amount.

Watch Sholan Ivaiti's full interview below.

The Cook Islands government currently subsidises the first 50,000 litres by making them free.

Prime Minister Mark Brown told RNZ Pacific that most residents understand the need for the tariff. “It enables the water authority to be able to collect revenues to ensure that it can cover its cost of providing a good, clean water service right across the island,” Brown says.

Ivaiti criticises Brown’s performance as Prime Minister, claiming that his actions have led New Zealand to freeze almost $30 million in aid until the 2026 financial year.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown. Photo/Supplied

The funding freeze, which now totals $29.8 million, affects the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26.

The funding pause follows Brown’s trip to China earlier this year, where he signed a strategic partnership without consulting New Zealand.

Documents reveal that the funding freeze was initially imposed in June and has since been extended.

A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters, says the decision to pause funding was made reluctantly and after careful consideration. They say the concerns about the Cook Islands’ recent actions need to be addressed, and trust must be rebuilt before any funding can be released.

“Significant development assistance to the Cook Islands continues, including in areas such as health, education, governance, security and humanitarian support,” the spokesperson says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters. Photo/Supplied

Ivaiti says his party, which has been in opposition for more than a decade, has been developing new policies in preparation for next year’s election.

“That’s why I’ve come back home, to give back to my people,” he says, adding that many local residents are concerned about the fallout between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, and that his party would prioritise this relationship.

Ivaiti says defence, foreign affairs, and security are key areas of concern for residents, and he believes open dialogue is vital.

“Dialogue is important and everyone’s accepted that’s the way forward. The political masters need to sit down and iron things out for everyone’s own good.”