Regional CCO preferred option for water services
Published on 16 December 2024
Upper Hutt City councillors have voted unanimously to consult with the community on options for water delivery services as part of the Government’s Local Water Done Well (LWDW) legislation.
At Wednesday’s council meeting, elected members approved options for a new regional water services council-controlled organisation (WSCCO).
The WSCCO would be in partnership with Wellington City, Hutt City, Porirua City, and Greater Wellington Regional (GWRC) councils.
The other option is to continue with existing arrangements where Council-owned water assets and services are contracted out.
While a regional CCO is Council’s preferred choice, community consultation on the options is expected to begin in March 2025 in conjunction with the Annual Plan consultation.
Meanwhile, Council will continue to explore whether stormwater services and assets require a different approach and potential options for delivering this. Under LWDW, the responsibility for stormwater management must stay with councils, regardless of where or how the service is delivered.
In December 2023, the Government announced a new direction for water services policy and legislation with LWDW.
The new legislation is the Government’s plan to address New Zealand’s long-standing water infrastructure challenges and requires all councils to meet stricter regulations for water service quality and finances.
“Councils working together, with our communities and mana whenua, is likely the best way forward. By pooling our resources and tackling these issues together we can secure the future of our water infrastructure,” says Mayor Wayne Guppy.
Following consultation, all councils will be required to submit a Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) for approval by September 2025.
The WSDP will show how water services will be delivered and meet the new water quality and infrastructure standards. A key legislated requirement is for the plan to be financially sustainable.
“Significant investment is needed in our water infrastructure over the coming decades to make sure councils can enable growth, provide safe drinking water, and be resilient to emergency and weather-related events,” says Mayor Guppy.
“There’s a lot of work to be done. We must develop a plan that serves our communities well and meets the Government’s expectations.”
More information about Local Water Done Well is available on our website and Let's kōrero page.
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