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Water, wastewater and stormwater

Local Water Done Well

Local Water Done Well (LWDW), is a programme of reforms introduced by the Government in February 2024 that replaced what was known as Three Waters Reform.

The main changes from the previous water reform approach are:

  • The Three Waters Reform has been repealed, and the co-governed water service entity model scrapped.
  • Council ownership and control restored.
  • Strict rules for water quality and investment in infrastructure have been set.
  • Ensure water services are financially sustainable.

Read the Department of Internal Affairs' information for councils. 

The Water Services Preliminary Arrangements Bill (Bill 2) lays out the foundations for the next stage of water reform:

  • Councils must develop and submit Water Services Delivery Plans (WSDPs) within 12 months of the bill’s passing.
  • Basic "economic regulation" through information disclosure requirements.
  • Enabling councils to design the structure, delivery method and funding and financing arrangements for their water services.
  • Councils are required to submit a one-off WSDP in mid-2025, by 3 September 2025. We need to consult with our community on the plan, which needs to demonstrate how, whatever model we go with, would achieve financial sustainability by 1 July 2028.

We are working with Stratford and South Taranaki district councils to investigate options for water services delivery in the Taranaki region.

Legislation 

• The Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act was enacted on 2 September 2024. Read our submission.
• Bill 3 is expected to arrive in late 2024 to cover a framework for economic regulation and the more detailed powers and duties of the water CCOs
• For more information on the Act and WSDPs go to Department of Internal Affairs website. 

What’s happening now

At a Council meeting on 8 October, our Mayor and Councillors agreed to proceed with both joint and independent Water Services Delivery Plans.

Read the report and minutes or view a recording of the meeting. 

It's important to note that no final decisions have been on how we will deliver water services in the future. 

Looking ahead 

In November we will hold workshops with elected members to discuss a range of topics including ownership/structure options, governance and stormwater arrangements, timeframes and delivery costs, and transition planning and public consultation. 

We will update this page as our plans progress. 

Page last updated: 11:22am Thu 17 October 2024

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