Waitaki District Council submits Water Services Delivery Plan

Published on 28 August 2025

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Water Services Delivery Plan now with Department of Internal Affairs for review.

Yesterday Waitaki District Council submitted its Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) to the Government Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) ahead of the 3 September deadline.

A copy of the WSDP is available on Council’s website now.

The Government can do one of the following:

  • Accept the plan,
  • Request further information or changes to the plan, or
  • Reject the plan

If the plan is accepted by the Government:

  • Council will be legally required to deliver the WSDP as approved by the DIA

     

  • Any changes Council wants to make to the WSDP must be approved by the DIA

     

  • Council will likely need to amend its Long Term Plan 2025-34 to include depreciation for water assets in 2026/27 and include all water assets, infrastructure upgrades, depreciation and operating costs from 2027/28 to 2033/34 as set out in the WSDP.

This Long Term Plan amendment will be the responsibility of the Mayor and Councillors who will be elected at the 2025 Local Elections.

If rejected:

  • The DIA can appoint a Crown Water Services Facilitator to support Council in developing a compliant plan for re-submission and review.

     

  • The DIA can appoint a Crown Commissioner for Water Services who will hold the decision-making powers of Council to determine the structure and contents of a compliant plan, including deciding whether to create a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) for the Council’s water services or putting the water services on a Joint CCO with other councils.

If a Crown Commissioner for Water Services is appointed, the Mayor and Councillors would not have any further role in approving or developing Council’s plan – or the structure of how water services are to be delivered in future. The decision-making would rest with the Commissioner and the DIA.

Waitaki District Council will inform the community once the DIA responds to the submitted plan.

Note: The Crown Commissioner – Water Services is the updated name for the Crown Water Services Specialist, following changes to the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025 before it passed into law.

The plan submitted to the DIA can be found here: WDC WSDP August FINAL(PDF, 3MB)

ENDS

 

 

 

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