Eastern Bay councils advance investigation into shared water services entity

Rotorua Lakes District Council chief executive Andrew Moraes, Kawerau District Council chief executive Morgan Godfery, Kawerau Mayor Faylene Tunui, Ōpōtiki Mayor David Moore, Whakatāne Mayor Nandor Tanczos and Ōpōtiki District Council chief executive Stace Lewer met at Kawerau’s Firmin Lodge to discuss water services. Photo / supplied

Mayors, district councillors and chief executives from the Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki, Kawerau and Rotorua Lakes district councils have met to investigate shared water services.

The four councils signed a heads of agreement in December to work together on the next steps forward for community water services in the Eastern Bay and Rotorua, as required under the Government’s Local Water Done Well legislation.

Kawerau hosted the most recent meeting of the joint waters working group, which also includes technical experts from the four councils, last Tuesday.

At the meeting they set the framework for a formal report being prepared for later this year.

The report will outline the long term financial and non-financial savings and costs, levels of service, resilience and sustainability, and capability involved with any shared water entity.

Kawerau Mayor Faylene Tunui said it was a chance to continue talks on water services between the neighbouring councils.

“We are now bringing together financial and drinking and wastewater asset information for all four councils as part of the investigations into what a shared water services entity could look like and whether it would deliver savings for our respective communities,” Tunui said.

“What was reiterated by the four councils is that this is an investigation, not a decision. We are committed to keeping everyone up-to-date and will continue to have more in-depth conversations with our communities and iwi partners over the coming months.”

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.