Council takes long-view approach to water services management changes
Published on 29 August 2024
Whanganui District Council should take a localised and long-term approach when considering what’s best for how water services are delivered in the future, Mayor Andrew Tripe says.
Mayor Andrew was responding to the passing of legislation on Tuesday, 27 August setting out the government’s Local Water Done Well preliminary arrangements for new water services. In the future all councils will have to meet new rules and regulations around financial management and water quality of their drinking water, stormwater and wastewater services.
The Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act requires councils to submit a Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) within 12 months. A WSDP can be developed individually or jointly if a council proposes to enter into some form of joint arrangement in the future, such as a Council Controlled Organisation owned by more than one council.
Mayor Andrew says whatever option is adopted, it must be the best for our Whanganui community in the “now, near and far time horizons".
“We must be looking three, 10, 30 years ahead around our water infrastructure. We need to consider what collaborating with other councils would look like in terms of cost and efficiencies while retaining local ownership of our water assets and ensure decision-making at a local level.”
Mayor Andrew says the council has made good investment decisions in the past and has increased investment in three waters infrastructure in the Long-Term Plan for the next ten years.
“We are in a very fortunate position compared with many other territorial authorities throughout New Zealand. But we acknowledge the new rules will increase the cost for end-users, whether we continue to go alone or join up with some of our neighbours.”
The council is looking at all its options, both as an individual council and with neighbours in the Manawatū-Whanganui region. The new legislation requires all councils to work quickly to develop a Water Services Delivery Plan by the deadline. By early December the council will need to make a decision about which delivery model it proposes to put in its Water Services Delivery Plan so that it can consult on the plan in line with the legislative requirements.
“The council will have to take a range of factors into consideration when it makes its decision about how to proceed – the financial impact on water users, community views and the strategic benefits and disadvantages of joining up with our neighbours,” Mayor Andrew says.
“We would like to hear from the community early on about our options and what’s important to them.”
For more information about Local Water Done Well, read the council’s Strategy and Policy Committee report and visit the Department of Internal Affairs website.