The Waimate District Council’s plan for the future of water services in the district has been approved.
Waimate Mayor Craig Rowley said that after years of hard work, expert analysis and overwhelming community support, the Department of Internal Affairs’ (DIA) decision validated the very essence of local decision-making, putting the locals in charge of local government.
‘‘This isn’t just an approval, it’s a resounding endorsement of our commitment to keep water service delivery local and in-house.
‘‘As a council, we have consistently invested in our water infrastructure, and our prudent financial management meant that we were confident that we could provide water affordably and efficiently ourselves. Waimate district has always been a champion of localism, and now we’ve proven it. Our plan approved by DIA showed and proved our ability to plan, fund and manage our water services for years to come.’’
The council had consulted the community and the response was clear — 87% of submissions had supported an in-house model to keep water services affordable and under local control, Mr Rowley said.
‘‘We heard them and put together a Water Services Delivery Plan laying out our strategy. Our plan met every legislative, financial and regulatory requirement. The approval by DIA is a proud moment for our district. However, it is only the beginning of what will be a long, challenging but exciting journey.’’
The council would now begin work on setting up an internal business unit for managing and delivering water services.
The unit’s finances would be ring-fenced, which meant that all water revenue would be used for water alone, he said.
‘‘This singular focus on water will be aided by the establishment of a water services committee, which will make recommendations to council and have some delegated authority. Council will retain full decision-making authority.’’
The unit would be set up by June 30, 2026, and be responsible for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services.
‘‘While this is a big change for council, we want to assure everyone that it will have no impact on the delivery of water services.
‘‘This was the most important decision council made in decades and one that will impact us for decades. I want to congratulate and thank everyone in our district, council staff, stakeholders, partners, experts and our community. We promised this is your water and it would be your decision. We’ve kept that promise.’’ — Allied Media
