In-house water services receive unanimous vote in South Taranaki

Monday, 21 July 2025

South Taranaki District Council voted to keep its water services in-house. (File photo)

South Taranaki District Council has voted unanimously to keep its own water services, after the overwhelming number of submissions were against joining a regional entity.

The council made its decision at an extraordinary meeting on Monday and it followed Stratford District Council’s vote in June to keep its water services independent.

New Plymouth District Council was expected to make a decision on Tuesday.

The decisions were required under the Government’s Local Water Done Well legislation to address the country’s water infrastructure challenges.

South Taranaki mayor Phil Nixon said the council had listened to the public.

It required all three Taranaki district councils to seek feedback from their communities on whether to set up a joint entity to deliver drinking water and wastewater services or retain their own in-house business units.

Public consultation in South Taranaki drew 726 submissions with 92.27% in favour of keeping it in-house.

Key themes from the submissions included concerns about losing local control over water services, subsidising other councils and the risk of future council amalgamation.

During the meeting, South Taranaki mayor Phil Nixon, who moved the recommendation to keep services in-house, said neither options were wrong and both could work but the council had to listen to what the public wanted.

“We came out with a proposal and we have now listened,” he said.

“It certainly made us think. It’s been a huge nod for South Taranaki District Council. We need to go ahead and do it ourselves and I’m damn sure we can go and make this happen.”

Nixon’s recommendation received overwhelming support from councillors, who spoke about the importance of listening to the public.

Hāwera ward councillor Andy Beccard said the decision to keep council water services in South Taranaki in-house was “sane and sensible”. (File photo)

“It would be hypercritical of me not to listen,” deputy mayor Robert Northcott said.

Councillor Racquel Cleaver-Pittams said it was important to her where the community sat and she voted in favour of Nixon’s recommendation.

Coastal ward councillor Bryan Roach was confident South Taranaki could manage its own services.

He said New Plymouth’s wastewater needed more investment and cited the $70 million thermal dryer and storm overflows following recent rain.

Hāwera ward’s Andy Beccard, who had spoken out in May about keeping services in-house, said the decision was “sane and sensible”.

“We’ve been managing it for 120 years, if it’s not broke, why fix it.”

He said an in-house option would be the cheapest and the council would have control over its expenses.

Te Tai Tonga Māori ward councillor Tuteri Rangihaeata said South Taranaki’s iwi, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine and Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi, also supported an in-house model.

Earlier in the meeting, a number of councillors asked council chief executive Fiona Aitken about what the structure would look like if an in-house model went ahead.

She said once government legislation was finalised along with a water services strategy, it would give council more clarity about how the structure would look.

The final Water Service Delivery Plans must be submitted by September 3 and were subject to approval by the Department of Internal Affairs.