Local Water Done Well

Fifty people have applied from around New Zealand to be one of three directors for the new joint West Coast council-controlled organisation for Local Water Done Well - Coast Waters Ltd.

Coast Waters has been established by the Buller, Grey and Westland District Councils as the Water Services CCO responsible for delivering drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services across the West Coast.

Applicants have included a significant number with experience chairing boards, Coast Waters Programme Director Teresa Wooding says.

“This number of applicants shows really healthy interest in the new entity. Around 10% of the applicants originate from the Coast. There are some very experienced directors putting their names up,” she says.

The subcommittee which will decide on directors is made up of Mayors from the three councils, and an iwi representative. The subcommittee will meet in upcoming weeks to discuss a shortlist of candidates and interview prospective directors.

Directors including a Chair are expected to be appointed and be in place by the end of June 2026.

Buller District Council (BDC) has approved the draft Coast Waters Ltd Shareholders’ Agreement and Constitution.

Buller’s move follows Grey District who approved the documents earlier this week. Westland District would consider the documents at their Council meeting this afternoon.

The Shareholders’ Agreement explains how the councils jointly own and oversee Coast Waters Ltd. It sets out the key decisions councils must approve, how directors are appointed, and how councils work together.

The shareholders, (each council), will operate a Shareholders’ Representative Forum from late autumn. This will provide overarching governance of Coast Waters. It will be made up of the three mayors, two other elected members from each council and a representative from Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae and Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio.

The Constitution establishes Coast Waters Ltd as a legal entity, sets out the company’s scope of activities and legislative requirements, and defines the powers, duties and limitations of the Board of Directors.

BDC also approved a sub‑committee to appoint the initial Board of Directors, to streamline the appointment process. The Council approved an amended recommendation that the sub‑committee be made up of the mayors and Francois Tumahai of Ngāti Waewae as iwi representative. The original recommendation put before them yesterday had also included Paul Madgwick (Makaawhio), but several councillors said they did not feel there was a need for both iwi to be represented on the subcommittee.

BDC chief executive Simon Pickford noted: “The amendment to that recommendation means further discussion will be required between the three councils to finalise the subcommittee recommendation.”

He says there are still a number of steps to go through before Coast Waters Ltd would be fully up and running by 1 July next year.

Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.

The three West Coast district councils have agreed a name for the West Coast Water Services CCO – Coast Waters Ltd. A joint council controlled water services organisation (WSCCO) will manage water services on behalf of their communities.

This week, the draft Shareholders’ Agreement and Constitution are being tabled; the Shareholders’ Agreement explains how the councils jointly own and oversee the WSCCO. It sets out the key decisions councils must approve, how directors are appointed, and how councils work together to guide the organisation and resolve any issues.

The Constitution establishes the WSCCO as a legal entity, sets out the company’s scope of activities and legislative requirements, and defines the powers, duties and limitations of the Board of Directors.

Together, the documents ensure that councils retain strategic control while enabling the WSCCO Board to manage day to day operations independently.

Also being tabled is approval for a sub committee to appoint the initial Board of Directors, to streamline the appointment process. The sub committee is made up of the mayors and iwi representatives. The initial Board will comprise three members, including the Chair.

The shareholders – each council – will operate a Shareholders’ Representative Forum from late autumn. This will provide overarching governance of Coast Waters. It will be made up of the three mayors, plus two other elected members from each council. There will also be a representative from Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae and Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio.

That brings the total to a maximum of 11 members, with no payment for the role. Each member will have an equal vote. Members could also choose to appoint an independent chair.

The Shareholders’ Representative Forum will hold quarterly meetings, moving to biannual public meetings once Coast Waters Ltd is operative.

The shareholders (the councils) will also adopt a Statement of Expectations for Coast Waters, likely over winter.

There will be two types of shares. The first is for decision making, with one share for each council. The second type of shares will be based on asset value, in Coast Waters Ltd. This only matters if a dividend is paid out – which is highly unlikely, as any surplus would be reinvested back into the water company. The number of shares will be confirmed next year once the final value of assets is known. Based on current values, Buller would have 22 shares, Grey 54, and Westland 24.

Grey District Council chief executive Joanne Soderlund said: “This is a strong example of the West Coast councils working together for the long term benefit of our communities. Coast Waters Ltd provides a regional approach to water services that strengthens capability, meets regulatory requirements, and keeps local voices at the centre of decision making through shared ownership and governance.”

Westland District Council chief executive Barbara Phillips said: “This is a practical step forward for the West Coast. By working together, we are strengthening how water services are delivered while ensuring councils retain a clear role in setting direction on behalf of their communities. Coast Waters Ltd enables us to meet increasing regulatory requirements, build capability at scale, and take a long term, sustainable approach to water infrastructure across the region.

“This is about taking a co ordinated approach to how we deliver water services on the West Coast. By working together, councils can share capability, meet regulatory requirements, and plan for the long term, while still retaining oversight on behalf of our communities.”

Buller District Council chief executive Simon Pickford said: “Coast Waters Ltd will enable us to work jointly with other councils – we have to work on our three waters anyway, and by doing it together in this council controlled organisation, we can ensure decisions that benefit our Buller and all West Coast ratepayers.”

Councils are also expected to consider funding the transition equally.

The new company must meet detailed statutory reporting and accountability obligations, including preparing and publishing water services strategies, budgets and reports, and will be audited by the Auditor General.

Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.

Buller District Councillors yesterday agreed that Buller would remain the administrative council for the shared Coast water council-controlled organisation (CCO), but would ask other Councils to share the debt financing.

At the decision-making meeting Councillors expressed further concerns about affordability issues for Buller residents, but the majority agreed to proceed with the CCO set-up.

Councils will continue to work through set-up matters in the coming weeks.

Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.

Buller District councillors yesterday told Department of Internal Affairs representatives they have real concerns about the ability of Buller people to afford increased water charges along with other current Council commitments.

The cumulative impact of charges through the proposed joint council-controlled organisation Local Water Done Well, the Westport Flood Scheme and ongoing government reforms were discussed in a workshop with staff, DIA representatives Paul Barker and Dave Foster, Council’s legal firm Simpson Grierson, and Local Water Done Well Programme Director Teresa Wooding and Finance Lead Douglas Marshall.

Councillors asked questions about what might happen should Buller decide to revoke its involvement with other West Coast councils in the new CCO. Some made it clear they believed Buller would be better off continuing in-house with providing three water services (reticulated water supplies, wastewater and stormwater services).

The DIA representatives suggested in response that the Buller Long-Term Plan water costs were higher than the CCO costs but delivered less.

The Buller, Grey and Westland district councils have agreed to form a water services CCO. The Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) for the West Coast was approved by the Secretary for Local Government on 18 November 2025.

The DIA representatives urged Buller to continue along the track it had committed to. If Buller District Council (BDC) were to withdraw, DIA said the council could seek to amend the plan under legislation, but only where changes were “significant and necessary due to exceptional circumstances” under the Preliminary Arrangements Act.

BDC would need to submit a new Water Services Delivery Plan. DIA representatives indicated this was unlikely to be accepted as they didn’t believe they had heard any information at the workshop that would be deemed exceptional circumstances, an example of which would be dealing with natural disasters.

“A change of Council doesn’t constitute a reason for change. There would have to be a very clear and compelling reason to change a plan,” Mr Barker said.

Being part of the CCO would give the West Coast councils a greater ability to raise funds necessary for the huge list of water infrastructural works, they said. These works had not been adequately completed over recent decades, leaving Buller urgently needing to catch up. Whether it was through a CCO or in-house, these costs were going to end up on ratepayers – either through increased fees, or increased debt for the council.

The DIA representatives confirmed the CCO was the most cost-effective model available to Buller given the significant amount of investment required in the district’s water assets. They said benefits of the CCO included the ability to “bulk buy” and make contracting for works more attractive because of the bigger scale the combined districts would require.

Legislation made it clear any water CCO would have to focus mainly on the provision of the three water services, so it could not be managed by an existing entity such as WestReef, as suggested by councillors.

Comparisons with smaller councils standing alone were rejected, with DIA saying places such as Stratford faced much lower capital requirements and had per‑consumer costs about half those of Buller, and warning that alternative options if Buller pulled out did not “look that flash”.

Councillors asked that government consider ways in which affordability issues could be addressed in Buller through mechanisms such as Development West Coast and the re-distribution of Minerals Royalties back into the district.

A constitution and shareholders’ agreement will be presented to each West Coast council for approval in upcoming weeks. Buller councillors will also reconsider the drawdown of the $5 million required to establish the new CCO at their meeting on 23 March.

Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.

The Buller, Grey and Westland District Councils expect to have a board in place to oversee the set-up of a new West Coast water organisation by autumn.

The councils are establishing a joint council-controlled water services organisation (WSCCO) to manage water services on behalf of their communities. Councillors from across the West Coast were updated on progress at a meeting on Friday.

The establishment cost is budgeted at $5 million, as agreed in the Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP), which was approved by the Government in November 2025.

The three councils operate with streamlined staffing levels and no surplus capacity, so consultants are being engaged on a targeted basis to support the significant transition workload.

This work includes programme management, financial support, aligning IT systems, shared services, and the setup activities for the board of directors and the WSCCO management team, all of which are outlined in the Implementation Plan in the Water Services Delivery Plan.

All transition costs will be transferred to the CCO once funding is in place with the Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA).

Considerable work is already under way, with the aim of minimising establishment and ongoing costs. The transition to the Water Services CCO (WSCCO) will occur in stages, from the lead-up to the transfer date, to minimise disruption.

Buller District Council Chief Executive Simon Pickford said: “There are important decisions yet to be made by the three councils. Until the board and Chief Executive are in place, the development and approval of Governance foundational documents sits with each of the councils.”

Grey District Council Chief Executive Joanne Soderlund said the councils were focused on setting up a robust organisation that delivers long-term value for communities.

“This is a complex transition, and the staged approach allows us to manage risk, control costs, and ensure continuity of essential water services while the new organisation is established.”

Westland District Council Chief Executive Barbara Phillips said: "By working collectively we maintain the oversight of any proposed costs and structures, including implementation, to ensure the best result is in place for the whole region."

The three councils will continue to work closely together over the coming months to progress the establishment of the WSCCO.

A constitution and Shareholders’ Agreement will be presented to each council for approval in autumn. Monthly mayoral meetings will begin from this week to support ongoing governance and coordination.

-ENDS-

Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.

The Secretary for Local Government has signed off on the West Coast Water Services Delivery Plan, confirming how drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services will be sustainably delivered and funded across the region over the next decade. The approval confirms that Buller, Grey, and Westland District Councils will now be able to proceed with establishing a joint council-controlled organisation to manage water services on behalf of their communities.

The three Chief Executives welcomed the decision as an important milestone for the region.

Buller District Council Chief Executive, Simon Pickford, says the approval provides the certainty needed to move into the next phase.

“With the plan now approved, we can begin the detailed transition work required to set up the new entity.

Grey District Council Chief Executive, Joanne Soderlund, says the three councils have a shared commitment to delivering a strong and resilient service model.

“The next phase is about building a structure that supports consistent service delivery, strengthens long-term planning, and ensures our communities have confidence in how essential water services are managed.”

Westland District Council Chief Executive, Barbara Phillips, says collaboration will remain at the core of the work ahead.

“By working together, we can ensure that the joint CCO is fit for purpose, future-focused and responsive to the needs of the entire Coast”.

Over the coming months, the three councils will work jointly on governance design, staffing, operational planning and corporate systems, supported by Crown Infrastructure Partners.

The new organisation is scheduled to come into effect in July 2027.

Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.

The Buller, Grey and Westland district councils will this week vote on whether to adopt a new Water Services Delivery Plan and submit it to the Government by 3 September.

The plan is required under the Government’s water reform programme, Local Water Done Well. This replaced the affordable Water Reform of the previous government and applies to drinking water, wastewater and stormwater.

The Local Water Done Well policy required all councils to consult on at least two options for the future of their water services. Retaining the status quo was not an option.

The Buller, Grey and Westland councils voted to set up a Water Services Council-Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) by July 2027, with equal representation on the shareholding forum, as well as representation from iwi. By working together, water services will be more cost-effective for the Coast than a single entity, and the cost of delivering these services through a WSCCO will be cheaper for ratepayers. Further details can be found in the Q&As on each council’s website.

The West Coast plan, which is before the three councils this week, is a snapshot of the current state of water services as well as a plan for the future. The plan is based on the best information available at this time, but there are still areas of uncertainty.

The Government requires all Delivery Plans to be assessed for financial sustainability, with further scrutiny from the Commerce Commission to ensure value for money for consumers.

The first stage will be to set up a Shareholders’ Representative Forum including the mayor and two elected members from each council, along with iwi representation.

They in turn will appoint the CCO board which will be responsible for approving the Shareholders’ Agreement, the transfer of assets, appointing the WSCCO board and providing a ‘Letter of Expectation’ to the board.

Buller District Council chief executive Simon Pickford said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to show how the West Coast work together to get the best outcome for our communities.”

Grey District Council chief executive Joanne Soderlund said “With Local Water Done Well requiring a different delivery model and the status quo off the table, this plan keeps decisions on the Coast while building the scale to modernise our networks, meet higher standards and leverage efficiencies”.

Westland District Council chief executive Barbara Phillips said: “Our goal is to protect local decision-making and shape a solution that works for our communities.”

Acceptance, or otherwise, of the West Coast Councils’ Water Services Delivery Plan is expected from the Government by the end of December.

Further details can be found in the Q&As under documents on Let's Talk Buller.

Key upcoming three waters projects per district:

Westland

• Hokitika Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Franz Josef Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Blue Spur Membrane Replacement

Grey

• Greater Greymouth water treatment plant upgrade
• Karoro/South Beach/Paroa wastewater redirected to Greater Greymouth (Preston Road)
• Sewer/stormwater separation on private property

Buller

• Westport Wastewater and Stormwater 10 Year Separation Programme
• Untreated Northern Buller Supply Drinking Water Programme
• Reefton Wastewater Resource Consent Renewal and SW Separation

Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.

Buller, Grey and Westland District Councils are set to form a multi-council-controlled organisation for water services delivery under the coalition government’s Local Water Done Well legislation.

Buller District Council voted in favour of a joint Water Services Council Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) at an Extraordinary Council meeting on 30 June 2025, with Grey District Council following suit on 3 July 2025, and Westland reaching the same decision yesterday.

Now a consensus has been reached, the councils will begin work together on a joint Water Services Delivery Plan in accordance with the coalition government’s Local Water Done Well reform.

This plan must be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs for approval by 3 September 2025. The new arrangements are expected to start coming into effect from 1 July 2027.

Buller District Council Chief Executive Simon Pickford says: “By teaming up with our regional partners, we will be combining our technical expertise and sharing services to deliver reliable, cost-effective water solutions that meet the requirements of the legislation.

“Working together unlocks efficiencies we couldn’t achieve alone, and we’re excited to further enhance our working relationship with the councils on the Coast.”

Grey District Council chief executive Joanne Soderlund says: “This agreement reflects our shared commitment to delivering water services that meet the requirements of the Local Water Done Well framework. By collaborating regionally, we’re building a platform for more resilient, efficient infrastructure and achieving better value for our ratepayers.”

Westland District Council Chief Executive Barbara Phillips says: “By working together with our neighbouring councils through a shared Council Controlled Organisation, we’re ensuring Westland residents continue to receive safe, affordable, and sustainable water services, something we could not achieve alone.

“This collaborative approach allows us to meet regulatory standards, share expertise, and invest in future-proofed infrastructure while retaining local control and ownership.”

Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at the time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact the accuracy of the information.

Buller District Council has chosen a direction for how its water services may be delivered in the future.

Between 16 May and 13 June 2025, council invited the Buller community to provide feedback on two options, which were to form either a multi-council-controlled organisation with two or more District Councils, or an internal business unit based within Buller District Council.

At an Extraordinary Council meeting on 30 June 2025, council voted in favour of water services being delivered through the preferred structure of a joint Water Services Council Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) with two or more District Councils, in this case Grey and Westland.

Seven people chose to speak to their submissions during the hearings.

Now this decision has been made, council will begin work on a joint Water Services Delivery Plan in accordance with the coalition government’s Local Water Done Well reform.

This plan will be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs for approval by the 3 September 2025 deadline. The new arrangements are expected to start coming into effect from the 2027/2028 financial year.

Grey District Council has also chosen the preferred option of a multi-council-controlled organisation, and Westland District Council will make its decision later this month.

Mayor Jamie Cleine has described the Buller District Council’s decision as a pivotal step, taken with the community’s long-term wellbeing in mind.

“We must look beyond immediate concerns and consider the future. With new water reform legislation coming into effect, the cost of water services will continue to rise in the future, no matter which path we take.

However, collaborating closely with our neighbouring communities will support greater affordability over the long term” he concludes.

Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.