Wellington City Council’s Kōrau Tōtōpū Long-term Plan, Finance, and Performance Committee voted unanimously today to consult Wellingtonians on three options for how water services will be delivered in the future.

The Government’s Local Water Done Well legislation covers the future of drinking, waste, and stormwater services. The legislation requires all councils to meet stricter regulations for water services quality, financial sustainability, and environmental impact.

Elected members and Pou Iwi have approved the following options to take out to public consultation and feedback:

· A regional three-waters council-controlled organisation (CCO), in conjunction with Hutt City, Porirua City and Greater Wellington Regional councils

· A Wellington City Council only three-waters CCO, and

· Continuing with existing arrangements where Wellington City Council directly owned water assets and services are contracted out.

The regional three-waters CCO is the preferred option. A regional approach to three-waters is also supported by local iwi.

“Water infrastructure is our Council’s top priority. And by pooling resources and expertise through a regional three waters CCO, we can deliver more efficient, equitable, and sustainable water services, optimise water use, and tackle shared challenges together,” Mayor Tory Whanau says.

“I believe that a regional model is best placed to deliver the quality service and value for money that Wellington residents rightfully expect.

“However, I also believe it’s important to provide Wellingtonians with a breadth of options regarding what we do with our infrastructure.”

Consultation is expected to take place between 20 March and 20 April 2025.

Following consultation elected members will then be asked to make their final decision on water reforms, with a Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) required to be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) no later than 3 September 2025.

Local Water Done Well is the Coalition Government’s plan to address New Zealand’s long-standing water infrastructure challenges. It recognises the importance of local decision making and flexibility for communities and councils to determine how their water services will be delivered in the future.

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