Councils agree on future of water services in the region.
Northland’s collaboration on Local Water Done Well has been praised by the Minister for Local Government, Simon Watts, after its three District Councils came to a conclusion on the future of water services.
The Minister said it was ‘fantastic’ to see Whangarei, Kaipara and Far North District Councils agree to establish a Northland-wide Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) to deliver drinking water and wastewater services, in a social media post last week.
Towards the end of July, Whangarei District Council voted unanimously in favour of creating a CCO. In the Far North, the motion was carried by a majority, with two councillors abstaining. In Kaipara, seven voted in favour and two councillors voted against.
Following the latest Local Waters Done Well Working Group Meeting, Chairman and Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said that the level of support from elected members in all three districts was a testament to the extensive work undertaken by the Councils’ teams and the Department of Internal Affairs.
“It’s a show of strong unity across Northland – together we’ll be able to ensure water and wastewater services deliver for everyone in the region,” he said.
“The cross-council working group has jointly worked to ensure each district is treated fairly when we combine. Deciding how to go about this has been a big part of the work to date.
“The Working Group focused on developing a financial model that reflects each council’s unique position regarding water assets, debt, and infrastructure needs. Councils have agreed to ring-fence financials by district and explore non-harmonised water charges during the first three years from commencement.
“Combining into one CCO will let us share resources, cut out duplication and, by serving a lot more people, generate economies of scale. We expect these benefits will be felt by water service users over-all. We’ll be getting much better use out of every dollar,” said Mayor Cocurullo.
Before the CCO is established, all councils must agree on a Statement of Expectations that outlines what the CCO is required to deliver and how those outcomes should be achieved.
“It doesn’t need to be a ‘one-size fits all’ approach. Each district is different in many ways, so the CCO will need to work in a way that reflects the varying interests of each community, including its engagement with partners and stakeholders whilst still looking for efficiencies of operation.”