Westland District Council Adopts Water Services Plan under Local Water Done Well
Westland District Council has formally adopted its Water Services Delivery Plan as required under the Government’s Local Water Done Well reforms.
The decision, made at yesterday’s Council meeting, was not unanimous, reflecting the scale and complexity of the reform programme. The adopted plan will now be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) for review, with a decision expected in early 2026 on whether it is accepted.
Mayor Helen Lash acknowledged the difficult process councillors have faced:
“This has not been a comfortable decision-making process. There has been a lot to comprehend, understand, and get our heads around over what has not been a particularly long time. We are damned if we do and damned if we don’t.”
She emphasised the need for strong oversight as the details of the new Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) are developed:
“Due diligence on all conversations, all negotiation, and every part of the structure must be managed very tightly as we move into the next stage of CCO development. We also need amended reporting requirements to ensure we get this right.”
During the meeting, Simpson Grierson, legal advisors to the Council, explained that under the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024, the Minister for Local Government has powers to intervene if councils or groups of councils cannot agree on a delivery plan:
“The provisions in the Preliminary Arrangements Act provide for government intervention where the Minister believes it would be beneficial to appoint a facilitator. This may occur if a council is not able to submit a Water Services Delivery Plan, or in the case of a group of councils, if they cannot agree on the terms of adoption. In such cases, the Minister has the ability to appoint a facilitator and set the terms of reference as deemed appropriate.”
The adoption of the plan is only the beginning of what the future CCO may look like. Over the next year, the three West Coast councils will continue to work together on the detail of the structure, governance, and management arrangements.
If accepted by DIA, the plan will provide the foundation for establishing a joint water services entity to deliver safe, sustainable, and affordable water, wastewater, and stormwater services for the region.
The meeting also highlighted several important points for Westland residents:
Westland will hold one-third voting rights within the new CCO.
Westland ratepayers will only fund Westland infrastructure, with no harmonisation of water rates across the region, for at least a period of 5 years. Then unanimous agreement must be met.
Ongoing communication with the community will be a priority as the process continues.
This is only the start of a long journey, this is not a sprint, there is still a lot of work to be done.
-ENDS-
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