Wellington has a water crisis, let’s form a committee

Friday, 15 March 2024

Here’s an idea to fix Wellington’s water crisis — form a committee. That has been the response from councils across the region, including Kāpiti and the Wairarapa, to the new Government’s plan to replace Labour’s Three Waters.

Press releases put out by the various councils suggest the aim of the yet to be named committee is to form a water delivery plan by mid-2025.

According to Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy, an outspoken critic of Wellington Water, the need for a new regional committee came from the Minister of Local Government, Simeon Brown.

On Thursday, Wellington City Council issued a statement headed: “Wellington City votes to support urgent regional water reform.” It was unclear what the word ’urgent’ referred to.

It noted that Wellington City Council had voted to work with other councils on a plan to reform the region’s water services.

“Councils across the Wellington region are this month considering a proposal on a joined-up approach to a new affordable and sustainable water delivery model.”

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau said it was crucial that every stakeholder in the region worked together on the best solution for water.

“Councils around the country are facing similar challenges. That is why we need to work towards a new model to make funding and delivery of water infrastructure more sustainable and efficient in the long run.”

Guppy said the aim of including all the Wairarapa councils and Kāpiti, as well as the Hutt Valley councils, Porirua and Wellington, and the regional council was to find a truly regional solution.

Asked what his understanding of the role of the committee was, Upper Hutt chief executive Geoff Swainson said: “This is a regional collaboration which will explore alternatives for each council to consider how they deliver water services. It will involve a number of working groups and committees.”

The Government’s Local Water Done Well policy indicates that by mid-2025, councils will be required to produce water service delivery plans that meet regulatory and investment requirements.

Various press releases from the councils involved spoke of producing a water delivery plan.

It was not, however, clear what that meant or how a committee where members had no voting rights was going to be successful, when individual councils had failed to find a solution to the water crisis.

The councils were expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would create a non-binding partnership between local councils.

Under the MoU, one elected member from each council will sit on an “advisory oversight group” for the joint water service delivery plan process, alongside iwi/Māori partner representatives.

Wellington Water declined to answer a range of questions, including; “how and who will fund a water delivery plan (whatever that actually means)?” and “what is the point to another committee?”.

A spokesman said those were issues that would have to be dealt with by individual councils.

Guppy said the issues facing the region were too big to ignore and the councils must work “collaboratively” to find a solution.

He echoed other mayors in the region, who have said that a solution would need central government funding.

“Unless there is a willingness from Government to look towards revenue sharing then the affordability issue will remain. The fundamental problems of ownership and funding have not gone away either and are still the rocks lingering beneath the surface.”

The committee would be chaired by an independent expert and supported by council chief executives and a joint project team. It would not be a formal joint committee or have any decision-making rights.

Whanau confirmed she would represent Wellington City on the committee.