Local Water Done Well

Council is asking the community for feedback on how the district’s drinking, storm and wastewater are managed in the future.

Local Water Done Well is the government’s approach to reforming the way water services are delivered in New Zealand in the future. The aim is to address New Zealand’s long-standing water infrastructure challenges.

As per the Local Water Done Well legislation, we must rethink our approach to delivering water services in the future and consult on it.

The two options we invite you to give us feedback on are:

• Option 1 – A multi–council-controlled organisation
• Option 2 - An internal business unit

Option one outlines the arrangements for creating a multi-council-controlled organisation with the Westland District Council and Grey District Council. We believe that this option offers the best outcomes for our community, as it spreads the costs over a larger population and will make providing drinking, waste, and stormwater services more cost-efficient for residents on the West Coast.

The second option describes how a stand-alone business unit outside of Buller District Council could deliver water services to residents in the Buller District.

For each option, we have considered the required infrastructure, scheduled investments, necessary upgrades, the organisational structure needed to deliver water services, the impact on existing staff, and the likely financial implications. You will find this information in our Consultation Document.

This is a complex issue, but you need to understand the challenges and engage in the conversation about the future of our water services.