Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: That's a great question. Yes, this was considered. A regional model means that some regions, particularly our more sparsely populated regions and smaller communities, would face either an unaffordable and unsustainable investment requirement or further deterioration in the quality of drinking water, waste water, and stormwater. This is not acceptable to our Government. We cannot support a model that only looks after urban areas. Approximately one in 20 people receive drinking water that didn't comply with bacterial standards. The challenges in delivering clean, healthy water that does not contaminate our beaches are experienced across the country, from our smallest towns to our largest urban centres. Even the local government sector's own analysis has concluded that a more regionalised model is not financially sustainable and does not provide the nationwide health or environmental benefits we're seeking. In Otago-Southland, as an example, their own advisers concluded that the challenges in addressing the ongoing service delivery requirements for three waters will likely exceed the capacity of Otago and Southland as a combined region. On the West Coast, independent advisers reached the same conclusion.