Our Council has rescheduled its meeting to adopt a Water Services Delivery Plan from this week to Thursday 28 August.
Under the government’s Local Water Done Well reform, councils must submit a Water Services Delivery Plan for government approval by 3 September that details how they will deliver future water services in a financially sustainable manner; either through an internal unit, a council-controlled organisation or joining with other councils to form a Water Services Organisation (WSO).
Our Council’s preference has been to join with Tauranga City Council (TCC) and Western Bay of Plenty District Council (WBOPDC) in a WSO. Our detailed analysis and financial modelling carried out over many months identified that as the best option to provide future affordability for local ratepayers.
This modelling clearly demonstrates a saving of $500 per annum per ratepayer by 2034 through progressing with a WSO with TCC and WBOPDC, whose ratepayers would also see savings.
On Friday 15 August, TCC voted in favour of forming a WSO with WBOPDC and our Council, with TCDC’s involvement subject to WBOPDC’s approval. However, later the same day WBOPDC decided in favour of forming a WSO with TCC but not TCDC. Their decision reflects concerns about ongoing Treaty of Waitangi matters involving iwi and hapu local to each area.
Our Council is now developing a Water Services Delivery Plan based on an internal water services unit, while leaving the door open to support iwi on the Treaty settlement issues of concern in order to allow our Council to join TCC and WBOPDC in their due diligence process for the proposed WSO. This pathway and our draft Water Services Delivery Plan will be considered by our Council at its Thursday 28 August meeting before the final plan is submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs for approval by the government’s deadline.
Thames-Coromandel District Council Chief Executive Aileen Lawrie says it ran through a rigorous process to examine all the options and that the Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty and Thames-Coromandel entity was the best. “However, we’ve made it clear from the beginning that TCDC is also well placed to continue to deliver water services in-house. Our debt is relatively low and our assets are in good condition. Going it alone is a viable option and meets the legislative requirements but we’d like to leave the door open to forming a joint WSO and will also consider options on how to progress this at our meeting on 28 August including whether to seek assistance from the Minister for Local Government.”
“We recognise the challenges councils face and each of our obligations and commitments to do right by our respective communities,” Lawrie says.
Our Council has carried out more than a year of research, analysis, and consultation as to which LWDW options would serve our respective communities best.
While the joint WSO option was favoured by 51% of submitters during consultation with our communities earlier this year, 46% said they preferred an internal water services unit. Altogether, 69% of submitters said affordability was their primary concern.