Southland District Council has received confirmation from the Department of Internal Affairs that its Water Services Delivery Plan has been accepted, allowing water services to continue being delivered in-house. This decision follows the government’s Local Water Done Well reforms, which required all councils to choose a delivery model and submit a plan by 3 September 2025. The reforms cover drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services, with no new government funding provided for implementation.
Council consulted the community on two options: an adjusted status quo (in-house business unit) and a standalone Council-Controlled Organisation. Following district-wide consultation in which 97.5 per cent of submitters favoured the in-house option, Council adopted the adjusted status quo model with changes to meet new legislative requirements. The Secretary for Local Government acknowledged the level of detail and time Southland District Council put into developing its plan.
Mayor Rob Scott said the decision vindicated Council’s belief that it was already delivering water services well, with the community confirming this approach was correct. He emphasised that the team has a wealth of local knowledge and is best placed to continue the work. Mayor Scott also highlighted the advantage of localised governance, with people on the ground in Council and community boards best positioned to determine how local rates should be spent in their communities.
The new water services delivery model will take effect on 1 July 2027. Council is now undertaking early planning for implementation, including identification of system changes, planning for internal compliance capability, and reviewing policies for the 2027 to 2037 Long Term Plan. The government provided five options for water service delivery, ranging from in-house business units to consumer trusts, with final decisions on national water standards expected later in 2025.
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Source: Southland District Council – News. This summary was published by Input Ltd via amalgamation.nz, New Zealand’s central resource for local government amalgamation news and council merger updates.
