SWDC votes to proceed with Waikato Water Done Well

The South Waikato District Council has today voted unanimously to proceed with entering into a non-binding Heads of Agreement relating to Waikato Water Done Well.

At a meeting on 27 November Council opted in favour of moving ahead with plans to be part of the multi-Council controlled organisation (CCO), which a number of other Waikato councils are already involved with.

It follows the Coalition Government’s decision to scrap the previous Government’s Three Waters legislation and work programme and move to a Local Water Done Well (LWDW) initiative.

Under LWDW all councils across New Zealand are required to produce a water services delivery plan by September next year, with a focus on ensuring future delivery is financially sustainable and meets quality standards.

The options provided by the Government under the new legislation include:

• Forming an internal business unit to deliver water services. This option includes significant changes to how councils manage and report on water services - so while it would still be delivered by council, it is not the 'status quo'.
• Joining with others to form a multi-Council controlled organisation (CCO). This option is what Waikato Waters Done Well explores.
• Forming a single council water organisation to deliver those services.

Elected Members attended a workshop on water management on 13 November.

“This is not a final decision; we still need to discover the full picture, which includes further financial information, and consult with our community,” South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley said.

“But Government has been clear that councils must land on a solution themselves by September 2025 or face having that decision made for them.

“Water management is a critical area, it’s our largest capital expenditure, and this decision is a significant one for our District.”

Alongside the regional model, Council is continuing to assess the viability of delivering water services through a standalone South Waikato District Council body.

Both options will be presented to the community for consultation in the first quarter of 2025.

You can stay up to date with developments at southwaikato.govt.nz/our-services/water-services.