Waitaki District Council favours joining other councils for three waters delivery

Monday, 12 May 2025

The Waitaki District Council’s Southern Water Done Well document went out for public consultation on Friday.

The Waitaki District Council’s preference is to join three other southern councils to manage its water services in the future.

The council’s Southern Water Done Well consultation document, approved by the council on Thursday, is now out for public consultation.

It listed four options for the council’s Water Services Delivery Plan, to comply with the Government’s Local Water Done Well reform.

The options were to join the Southern Water Group, a joint Council-Controlled Organisation [CCO] with the Clutha, Central Otago and Gore district councils; the creation of a standalone Waitaki CCO; the establishment of an in-house business unit; or to join a South Canterbury group which would involve creating a CCO for the Mackenzie, Timaru and Waimate district councils.

Waitaki District mayor Gary Kircher says the council has listened to the community and worked hard to develop clearer, more detailed options for the public to consider.

The consultation document said the council’s preferred option was to join the Southern Water Group.

Mayor Gary Kircher said water reform had been on the table for nearly a decade.

“Now, we have the chance to shape how water services are delivered in our district, in a way that’s financially sustainable and meets our future infrastructure needs,” Kircher said.

“Earlier consultation as part of our Long Term Plan was limited by available data and a lack of confirmed partnerships.

“We’ve listened to the community and worked hard to develop clearer, more detailed options for you to consider.”

The consultation started on May 9 and would run until June 6.

The Waitaki District Council has confirmed the consultation will not decide the final model, but says it’s a vital step.

Kircher said none of the options involved the status-quo in-house delivery system, as the Government reforms required ring-fenced funding, greater transparency, and stronger borrowing capacity to improve water infrastructure and quality.

“This means change,” he said.

The Waimate District Council would this week open consultation on its options and had indicated a preference for keeping its three waters services in-house with changes to meet new legislative requirements.

The Mackenzie District Council and Timaru District Council had both indicated a preference for a multi-council water services organisation, joining with neighbouring councils to deliver such a scheme.

The Mackenzie council’s consultation was also under way, and the Waimate and Timaru councils would open theirs on May 15.

All councils had to submit a Water Services Delivery Plan to the Department of Internal Affairs by September 3.

The Waitaki council would hold public meetings in Otematata, Palmerston and Ōamaru to discuss Southern Water Done Well. The consultation document could be found on the council’s website and printed copies would be available from May 12 at all Waitaki District libraries.