1 August 2019

We welcome Minister Mahuta’s announcement yesterday of an enhanced regulatory framework and new standards for the management of drinking water, waste water and storm water (3 waters) https://www.dia.govt.nz/Three-waters-review.

Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, Hastings District Council, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Napier City Council and Wairoa District Council, are working together to review the current and potential 3 waters service delivery options for Hawke’s Bay.

We all share responsibility for ensuring our communities enjoy safe and reliable, resilient and efficient drinking waste and storm water services. The investment and regulatory compliance required across Hawke’s Bay is significant, so understanding the scale of capital, operational and regulatory requirements for 3 waters across the whole region means we can evaluate the opportunities for us to work together.

The first phase of the review has involved defining key principles and objectives, an assessment of the current state of 3 waters service delivery across the region and preliminary analysis of potential options.

Based on yesterday’s announcements, we can press ahead with greater certainty around the new regulatory standards Government is advancing and with confidence that our review aligns with

Government’s objectives. We also note Government is making available a funding process we can access to support this work.

ENDS

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