Porirua City Council agreed today to work with other councils in the region to create a joint water services delivery and implementation plan.
Nine councils in the Wellington region, along with Horowhenua District Council, have been working together in response to the Government’s Local Water Done Well policy, and received a report earlier this month outlining a recommended regional approach to water services delivery.
All councils are required to submit water service delivery plans to the Government by September 2025. To achieve this councils may work alone or with other councils and by the end of this year need to decide on their approach.
Most of the councils in the region are expected to make their decisions on options in late October, with Horowhenua and Kāpiti Coast District Councils making decisions in late November. Carterton District Council resolved yesterday to exit the Wellington regional approach, instead opting for a local model.
At a full council meeting today, Porirua City Council considered the advantages and disadvantages of a range of options, and agreed that a regional approach was the best way forward.
Under the regional model, Porirua City Council would be a shared owner, with other councils, of a limited liability company that delivers the full breadth of water services functions to the community. All assets, revenue and debt would transfer from Council ownership to the new company.
The company would provide all services directly to water customers, and bill directly for water usage and services provided. Those charges will be determined by the board of the new water company, with the oversight of an economic regulator. It will need to provide a high level of local service delivery, including good compliance, response times, affordability and supply.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said the regional approach had a number of benefits.
"This option will create an organisation with the scale needed to best manage the current and future water challenges in the region.
"Our drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services all need fixing and this will take an ongoing, joint effort. More than 20 per cent of the region’s water assets are worn out and need to be replaced, which means a significant risk of major service failures.
"Working together gives us the best chance to address these issues, and financial modelling so far shows that this is likely the most effective solution.
"This is a long game, and one the region can best tackle by working together," Mayor Baker said.
Once the final number of councils opting to continue with the regional approach is known, the next steps of modelling will be done, and Council will be asked to decide on a final preferred option in March 2025. Consultation with the community will then take place, with a final Water Services Delivery Plan and Implementation Plan to be signed off in June.
31 Oct 2024
