Taxing water not as crystal clear as it seems

OPINION: The latest calls from Greens and Labour for a water tax acknowledge it would need to be applied in a 'fair' way, but I wonder if they understand just how difficult to nigh on impossible that would be to achieve.

A key reason is the basic geography and climate of New Zealand, which means that some areas get more rainfall and others are more reliant on irrigation.

For example, Canterbury accounts for just under 60 per cent of regional water use, Otago just over 10 per cent and the other three summer dry east coast regions around 5 per cent each. See more