Ten Water Service Entities
The programme will involve the establishment of ten Water Services Entities (WSEs) from July 1, 2024, until July 1, 2026.
The Water Services Entities Amendment Bill was introduced in Parliament on June 22, 2023 and referred to the Governance and Administration Committee for review.
The Committee allocated a timeframe from June 22 to July 5 for the public to submit their opinions on the Bill. This timeframe aligns with the Government’s objective to pass all necessary legislation for the water services reforms before the General Election, when the House concludes its session.
Establishment Dates of WSEs
A new provision in section 6A (4) (a) specifies that the Northland and Auckland WSEs will go live on July 1, 2024. The amendment bill does not include the dates for any other regions.
The amendment bill indicates that the date for the remaining Councils will be determined by the NTU through legislation or an Order In Council. Mayoral opinions will no longer be considered, and once the bill is enacted, there will be no possibility to change the “Go-Live” date for Councils.
The legislation includes quarterly transition dates, commencing from October 1, 2024, and continuing until July 1, 2026, a staggered approach.
Submission on Water Services Entities (WSE) Amendment Bill
Geoff Hamilton, the Chief Executive of CDC, submitted recommendations on behalf of the Council to the Governance and Administration select committee regarding the WSE Amendment Bill in July.
The Council’s submission highlighted specific areas that should be addressed in the bill.
- Establishment dates for all Water Service Entities be in included in the WSE Amendment bill under section 6A (3), and not left to an Order in Council process at a date yet to be determined.
- Recommend the Order in Council Process contained in the new section 6A (5) (9) is retained if this recommendation is adopted, to cater for situations where a WSE establishment date may need to be amended.
Including the establishment dates for all WSE in the legislation will provide certainty for staff, suppliers, communities, and will provide Territorial Authorities the maximum available time to prepare for transition.
Council believes a smooth transition of services is critical for our communities, and the significant amount of work involved in transition activities should not be underestimated.
Providing a definitive transition date via the WSE Amendment Bill will remove ongoing uncertainty as to when water services are migrating to the new Water Services Entities.