Hamilton, Waikato councils have water plan approved

Friday, 25 July 2025

The Hamilton City and Waikato District councils’ are the first in the country to have their new water services model - IAWAI - Flowing Waters - approved by the Government.

The Hamilton City and Waikato District councils’ water reform model has been given the official tick of approval.

It’s the first government-mandated Local Water Done Well scheme in the country to be formally approved by the Secretary for Local Government, Paul James.

Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate and Waikato District mayor Jacqui Church said formal approval cleared the way for much-needed increased investment in essential water infrastructure.

Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate says investment in the shared water services model will be $3.6 billion over 10 years.

That investment in shared water services is $3.6 billion over 10 years with the management of, and responsibility for, the investment transitioning to IAWAI - Flowing Waters, the councils’ jointly owned company, this month.

The company will be fully operational from July 2026.

The plan future-proofs the delivery of services for around 280,000 people through 91,000 connections across the two council areas.

“We are making a massive investment in core water infrastructure with 67% of that spend driven by growth,” Southgate said in a statement.

“It is a stark illustration of the challenges ‘growth councils’ like ours face and it is critical to enable housing and businesses, and ensure safe drinking water.”

Waikato District mayor Jacqui Church says the new organisation will ‘get more done faster, and for less’.

Church said that over the next decade, the joint waters plan would respond to a predicted 22% increase in households or businesses needing water services.

“These core investments in infrastructure have been well signalled and planned and are already budgeted.

“Our new company structure will allow us to deliver a lot more in terms of critical water projects. Put simply, it means we can get more done faster, and for less,” Church said.

All councils in New Zealand are required to submit water services delivery plans by early September.

They must show how local authorities will deliver water services, meet environmental and health regulations, make the right investments at the right time, and secure enough revenue and debt to do the work planned.

Plans must keep up with growth and be financially sustainable.

Hamilton City and Waikato District submitted their joint plan in early July.

“It was a huge amount of work for our staff to get a very comprehensive joint plan in for approval, very quickly. They did a fantastic job,” Southgate said.

Church said councils had led “proactively, with purpose and at pace”.

“There is a massive challenge ahead and we want IAWAI – Flowing Waters to hit the ground running and deliver for our communities,” she said.

Both councils have already delegated some strategic water projects to IAWAI - Flowing Waters.

In June, the councils announced the company’s first board of directors, led by former Wellington City Council chief executive Kevin Lavery, along with Tim Manukau (Tainui Waka) and former Watercare chief executive Dave Chambers making up a three-person establishment board.

Lavery was appointed for two years and will effectively manage the company until a chief executive is appointed later this year.

All waters activity across both councils, plus around 270 council staff, will be transferred to the company on June 30 next year.