Carterton District Council voted today [Thursday 22 May] to enter negotiations for a joint council-owned water services entity in partnership with Masterton, South Wairarapa, and Tararua District Councils — a major step forward in the Local Water Done Well reform programme.
Following a robust deliberation process and consultation with the community, elected members agreed to proceed with the Wairarapa-Tararua (Wai+T) model — a shared Council-Owned Organisation (COO) to manage local water services — provided critical conditions are met to protect Carterton ratepayers.
Mayor Hon. Ron Mark said the Council’s decision reflects both the strength of community feedback and a bold vision for Carterton’s future.
“We’ve made generational investments in our water infrastructure — and we owe it to our ratepayers to make sure that effort isn’t undermined. Our decision today reflects our confidence in a joined-up, regional approach, while demanding fairness, equity and accountability in how this new entity will operate,” said Mayor Mark.
The consultation process showed that 70% of respondents supported the preferred Wai+T model, while voicing strong concerns about pricing fairness, debt sharing, and long-term control. Council has acknowledged those concerns, and passed several key recommendations to guide the next stage of negotiations.
These include:
- A 10-year prohibition on price standardisation across current Council districts to protect Carterton ratepayers from cross-subsidising neighbours;
- A cap on how much debt each council can transfer into the joint entity, based on a consistent debt-to-revenue measure;
- Provisions to ensure Carterton retains a fair voice on the shareholder council, with representation proportional to water connections;
- An expectation that iwi from each district are also represented on the new governance structures.
- Provisions to help manage the capital investment expectations of participating councils.
Carterton District Council Chief Executive Geoff Hamilton stressed the practical importance of maintaining momentum while preparing for all outcomes.
“We’ve listened carefully to the community, and now we’ll work hard to secure terms that honour the investment Carterton people have already made.” Mr Hamilton said.
The Council has set 25 June 2025 as the date for its final decision to proceed, following negotiations on key terms. The Council did not consider an exit opportunity after this date was required. A detailed Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) is due to be submitted to the Government by the statutory deadline of 3 September 2025.