Upper Hutt City Council is transferring its three waters services to a new regional water organisation called Tiaki Wai Limited, effective 1 July 2026. This change is the result of the Government’s Local Water Done Well reform programme, which replaced the previous government’s Water Services Entities model. The reform requires all councils to develop water services delivery plans showing how they will meet new regulatory requirements for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services.
The Local Water Done Well policy emerged following the 2016 Havelock North campylobacter outbreak and subsequent government inquiry. Councils across New Zealand face significant challenges delivering affordable water services due to aging infrastructure, costly renewals, increasing insurance expenses, and regulatory pressures. For many councils, particularly those with small rating bases or high-growth areas that have reached borrowing limits, the status quo is not sustainable. The current government repealed the previous Water Services Entities legislation in February 2024 and introduced its own framework requiring councils to transition to new delivery models.
Upper Hutt City Council has partnered with Porirua City Council, Hutt City Council, Wellington City Council, and Greater Wellington Regional Council to establish Tiaki Wai Limited as a council-controlled organisation. The new entity will serve approximately 432,000 people across the Wellington metropolitan area. In February 2026, Council adopted an amended Long Term Plan removing water service delivery functions, financials, and assets to reflect this transfer. Foundation documents including the Enduring Constitution and Partners’ Agreement were approved in December 2025, and a joint committee with representatives from shareholding councils and mana whenua partners Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko Te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira was established.
Council approved the final Transfer Agreement on 20 May 2026, enabling the legal transfer of statutory responsibilities, water services assets, debts, infrastructure, land, and contracts to Tiaki Wai. The Water Services Delivery Plan was approved by the Department of Internal Affairs in October 2025 following public consultation that received 104 submissions. Tiaki Wai will now develop its Water Services Strategy and begin detailed planning for service delivery from 1 July 2026.
Read the full article at Upper Hutt City Council – News →
Source: Upper Hutt City 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.
