South Wairarapa, Tararua, Masterton and Carterton Councils have agreed to Water Services Delivery Plans for the future of water services delivery in the region.
Water Services Delivery Plans are required under the Government’s Local Water Done Well reforms and set out the pathway for financially sustainable, efficient, compliant and reliable water services.
In March and April this year, the Councils consulted with their communities on establishing a regional Water Services Organisation. There was strong community support for this approach across the region, with 88% South Wairarapa, 65% Tararua, 70% Carterton, and 60% Masterton submitters favouring a Wairarapa-Tararua option.
Since consultation, the four Councils, together with Rangitāne and Ngāt Kahungunu, have worked together to determine key governance and commercial details about the regional organisaton and committed to legally establishing the organisaton by 1 July 2026 and having it operational, delivering services to customers, by 1 July 2027.
A Wairarapa Tararua Water Services Organisation would be one of 11 multi-Council models being developed across New Zealand.
The key benefits of a regional model for Wairarapa – Tararua include:
- More affordable and resilient water services for communities
- Increased access to finance to enable the delivery of necessary investment
- Operational efficiency and cost savings resulting from a single entity planning, contracting and delivering works across the region
- Creating regional employment opportunities from a larger, locally based infrastructure provider and
- Enabling an entity solely focused on water services delivery.
The Plans will now be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs by 3 September 2025.