Auckland Minister Judith Tizard showed her distaste for Metrowater's surprise raid on the homes of several protesters by snubbing its launch of a new water-conservation service yesterday. Her boycott of the event at Auckland Zoo came after Metrowater hired contractors on Monday to dig up and remove water pipes at the homes of 16 residents who refuse to pay their wastewater bills in protest at rising charges.

"I have informed Metrowater that I am not prepared to support a public-owned company that is treating its customers in such a heavy-handed way," said Ms Tizard, the Minister assisting the Prime Minister on Auckland issues.

"I believe there is a more constructive way in dealing with customers over an essential service like water supply) "

Metrowater chairman Michael Stiassny said he was disappointed Ms Tizard had not attended, but it was her decision.

Ms Tizard and Mayor Christine Fletcher yesterday called for a review of the way local authority trading enterpises such as Metrowater operate. They want. them not only to concentrate on running as successful businesses but to take account of other objectives such as the environment and consumer issues.

Mrs Fletcher said she wanted shareholding councils to be given a greater ability to influence the way the trading enterprises were run.

But Water Pressure Group leader Penny Bright said the protesters held the mayor directly responsible for the conflict with Metrowater as she and other councilors had ignored 15,000 submissions to last year's annual plan calling for the abolition of Metrowater.

"We don't wear her crocodile tears. If she was really committed, she would bite the bullet and abolish Metrowater, bringing it back to council control as a stand-alone business unit."

A faction of the protest group, known as the Turn-on Squad, were last night still trying to reconnect water supplies to the homes cut off by Metrowater.

The last of the homes was expected to be reconnected today. The protesters have set up a "spot the subby" hotline to keep track of the flying squads of subcontractors .

A spokeswoman for Metrowater, Sharon Buckland, said last night that the company would wait to see what the protesters did before deciding its next step.

"We've been negotiating with these people for a year ... We're hoping that they will be reasonable."

She said Metrowater had backed down from removing pipes from four of the 16 protesters' properties.

Two had paid, one was given a dispensation because she was seven months pregnant and protesters had blocked contractors at another property.

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