Water Water Everywhere - what is the Water Services Delivery Plan and who’s doing what?
The water under our feet
Unlike our leafy suburbs, we don’t have open streams in the inner-city. ICW is learning about the water under our feet!
Under our feet are:
pipes for freshwater
pipes for stormwater (which is actually a mix of our freshwater streams running from our hills towards the harbour and the rainwater then runs into it off our gutters, roofs etc)
and pipes for our wastewater.
So is there a master plan for water for Aotearoa New Zealand?
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Yes - there is an updated plan coming.
As of 2nd September 2024, new laws have been introduced requiring territorial authorities to prepare a Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP).
The plan itself must be submitted no later than 12 months after the date on which this section came into force. This means that action needs to be taken swiftly to ensure authorities meet the deadline while ensuring their plans suit their territory’s requirements and preferred water services delivery model.
Each territorial authority must prepare a Water Services Delivery Plan, but it’s important to note that these can be joint plans with other territorial authorities. These plans are designed to identify the current state of water services and prepare for financial investment into these services, and must be delivered before September 2025.
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Who’s doing the plan for Wellington - and when?
From Greater Wellington Regional Council website. 5 Nov 2024
Greater Wellington councillors have unanimously confirmed their commitment to proceeding with a combined regional approach to developing a water services delivery plan with mana whenua and participating city and district councils.
Earlier this year the Government introduced the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024, which established the Local Water Done Well framework. The framework is designed to address long-standing challenges in water infrastructure management and delivery across the country.
Greater Wellington chair, Daran Ponter, says the Regional Council “strongly supports” the proposed development of a joint council-owned regional water services organisation.
“Local authorities working together with mana whenua is the best option for the future of our water infrastructure. By combining our resources and decision-making processes, the whole region will benefit,” Cr Ponter says.
“This will be a long game, and we know costs will be significant, but Greater Wellington remains focused on collaborating to create a regional water management framework that is equitable, sustainable, gives effect to Te Tiriti and is responsive to the needs of our partners and communities.”
Greater Wellington councillor and member of the water services Advisory Oversight Group - Ros Connelly - says a combined approach will provide stability.
“Shoring up water infrastructure in the region is vital to our future prosperity. Agreeing the approach to delivering water services will be one of the most important decisions that councils make in the next 12 months,” Cr Connelly says.
“Local authorities working together is the best way to establish an efficient, capable and cost-effective approach to water service delivery for our communities. But to ensure we get the delivery model right; it’s critical mana whenua and community voices are central to the decision-making process.”
Consultation on the delivery model is expected in early 2025.
Councils are required to deliver their Water Services Delivery Plan to the Secretary for Local Government by 3 September 2025.
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PS: That’s our picture - it doesn’t really look that tidy under our feet, and the colours we’ve used for each pipe are not the same as the markings you often see on the street, which are used by the water professionals!
