Growth Driving Water Investment
The two councils are signalling a joint investment of $3.6 billion in water and wastewater over the next decade. Of that investment, 67% ($2.4 billion) is driven by growth, noting a forecast 22% increase in households or businesses needing water services.
The investment will be managed by IAWAI Flowing Waters, the councils' jointly owned company which will become fully operational from next July.
The numbers are outlined in a joint Water Services Delivery Plan set to be approved by Hamilton City Council this week. Waikato District Council will consider the same draft Plan on 30 June.
The Government requires all Water Services Delivery Plans to show how local authorities plan to deliver water services, meet environmental and health regulations, make the right investments at the right time, and secure enough revenue and debt to do the work planned. Plans must prove they can keep up with growth and be financially sustainable.
For Hamilton and Waikato District, staff are recommending some strategic water projects be delegated to IAWAI Flowing Waters from 1 July 2025. This would be an interim arrangement before all waters activity, plus around 270 staff, are transferred to the company – a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) - on 30 June 2026.
Hamilton City Council's Infrastructure and Assets General Manager, Andrew Parsons, said the immediate transfer of key projects would allow the company to quickly begin realising mutual cross-boundary benefits as well as access better debt arrangements not available to councils.
Despite the huge investment planned, there was absolutely no change to the rates increases already forecast and budgeted by each shareholding council, he said.
'These core investments in infrastructure have already been well signalled and planned and are already budgeted. Working together in a new company structure means we can deliver a lot more in terms of critical water projects and do it faster. Put simply, it means we can get more done faster, and for less.'
Strategic projects include the reconfiguration and upgrade of wastewater plants at Huntly, Ngaaruawaahia and Pukete along with planning work on a new wastewater plant for the south of the city and surrounds. Other projects include the introduction of residential water meters in Hamilton and long-term water servicing strategies for Tuakau, Pookeno and Te Kowhai.
The plan also outlines water infrastructure plans for Peacocke, Rotokauri and Ruakura and well as housing intensification in Hamilton city.
'We're also budgeting and planning for replacement of some key water assets that will reach the end of their life in the next decade,' Parsons said.
Once approved, the joint Water Services Delivery Plan will be sent to the government for approval. In the meantime, IAWAI Flowing Waters will begin work on the development of a 10-year Water Services Strategy, guided by a Statement of Expectations set out by shareholders.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
5 days ago
- Scoop
Iconic Hamilton Bridges Win Global Award
Press Release – Hamilton City Council The four-lane Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge, surrounding transport network, and the three waters infrastructure are all essential components ensuring the successful development of this area. Two Hamilton bridges have outshone competition from across the globe to win the prestigious Eugene C. Figg Jr. Medal at the International Bridge Conference Awards in Pittsburgh today (16 July NZST). The bridges, Te Ara Pekapeka and Taurapa, are not just impressive feats of engineering but vital infrastructure that connect the city, across the Waikato River, to the new growth area of Peacocke. The new neighbourhood will eventually be home to up to 20,000 Hamiltonians. Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said this was justifiably a proud moment for Hamiltonians. 'We didn't build it to win an award, we built it to meet requirements to unlock land for growth and we worked side-by-side with Government to fund it and deliver it on time. 'This award recognises our approach. We involved the community, councillors, mana whenua, and government. This award isn't about steel or concrete, it's about people, it's about attitude and it's about a desire to deliver fantastic value.' The four-lane Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge, surrounding transport network, and the three waters infrastructure are all essential components ensuring the successful development of this area. 'The award is a bonus and should be celebrated.' Mayor Southgate said. Southern Links Tangata Whenua Working Group representative Marina Hape said the mahitahi (collaboration) with mana whenua had built an enduring relationship between Waikato-Tainui, hapuu and Council, far beyond the completion of the project. 'Mana whenua was on the journey right from the very early planning and had input into every area of the project. Our partnership is evident through design, but also in how the Maaori world view has delivered on our aspirations for Maaori, the environment and our wider community.' The annual International Bridge Conference awards medals to recognise individuals and projects of distinction. The last time a New Zealand bridge was recognised at the Conference was the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge in New Plymouth in 2011. This is the second time Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge has been recognised on an international stage in recent months, receiving a Special Mention at the Architizer A+ Awards in May. The project also took home national wins at the New Zealand Planning Institute Annual Awards and Apopo Asset Management Excellence Awards for leadership in the respective fields.
Scoop
6 days ago
- Scoop
Tauranga City Council Postpones Decision On Water Services Delivery
Tauranga City Council has postponed its decision to confirm a preferred delivery model for future water services. While Council was expected to make a decision on Monday, it opted instead to leave the report on the table to allow time for further discussions with the community prior to making a decision. The decision comes after Thames Coromandel District Council signalled it wished to progress alongside Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council in a multi-council CCO at the end of April when Tauranga City Council's public consultation had already concluded. Tauranga City Council Mayor, Mahé Drysdale says Council has been very open to working with any Council that provides mutually beneficial outcomes. 'Western Bay of Plenty District Council has always been our preferred partner, but we have had conversations with a number of councils and worked through different scenarios. 'Off the back of that scenario modelling, we now have two councils that we could progress with, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, whom we consulted alongside in April, and more recently Thames Coromandel District Council.' 'The involvement of Thames Coromandel District Council is a relatively recent development and before making a decision, and moving to due diligence, we need to update our community about our potential new partner and ensure the community is fully informed,' Mahé says. 'Although a delay could compress the time required for submitting a Water Services Delivery Plan by 3 September, it is important that we get this right." 'We look forward to continuing to engage with all of our people and appreciate any feedback on how we can make Tauranga better.' A decision on Council's preferred delivery model is now expected on 5 August 2025. If a multi-council CCO was preferred, Council would also need to approve a Commitment Agreement, which would allow councils to work together and undertake a due diligence process that assesses a joint operating model. The establishment of any multi-council CCO would be subject to all parties being satisfied with the outcomes of the due diligence process, and any council could choose to withdraw if it was dissatisfied with its findings. Te Awanui Ward Councillor Hēmi Rolleston says it was appropriate to postpone the decision. 'This is one of the most important decisions this Council will make. Therefore, to leave this decision for a further three weeks is a practical decision, based on feedback from Iwi that they require more time, particularly with the relatively late inclusion of Thames Coromandel District Council.' Community event The Mayor and Councillors will be holding an information and Q&A session with the community about Local Water Done Well on Thursday, 24 July from 5-6pm at the University of Waikato in the Te Manawaroa Room. Free parking will be available from 4.30pm on the day at the council parking building on Spring Street. Notes: Local Water Done Well is the New Zealand government's plan to reform how water services are managed and to tackle the country's significant water infrastructure challenges. During public consultation in April 2025 a total of 726 people provided submissions addressing 'Why wai matters: Local Water Done Well', via council's online submissions form.
Scoop
6 days ago
- Scoop
Ruapehu And Whanganui To Form Joint Water Services Entity
Ruapehu District Council (RDC) will join with Whanganui District Council (WDC) to form a two-council Water Services Council-Controlled Organisation (WS-CCO) to deliver future water services under the Government's Local Water Done Well reform programme. RDC had voted to support the two-council WS-CCO model at its meeting on 9 July, with the decision contingent on WDC confirming its preference to partner with Ruapehu. That confirmation came today, with WDC elected members voting 8–5 in favour of the joint model. Chief Executive Clive Manley welcomed the confirmation and said it was an important milestone that enables both councils to begin work on the detailed planning and implementation. 'This has been a long and complex process, and a significant amount of work has gone into getting us to this point,' said Mr Manley. 'Now that we have clarity and agreement from both councils, staff can progress the necessary steps to implement the new water services delivery model. Until we had confirmation of our partner council, there were key aspects we simply couldn't move forward on.' The immediate priority will be the development of a joint Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) with WDC. This plan must demonstrate how the proposed two-council WS-CCO meets the Government's legislative requirements - particularly around financial sustainability - and must be submitted to the Minister of Local Government for approval by 3 September 2025. 'Given ministerial approval of the WSDP, Council staff will be working closely with Whanganui to operationalise the new WS-CCO as quickly as possible,' said Mr Manley. 'The target is for the WS-CCO to be fully operational by mid-2027. In the meantime, water users in Ruapehu will continue to be serviced by our existing provider, Veolia, with no change to service levels.' Mr Manley noted that WDC had also voted to include stormwater services in the new WS-CCO. Ruapehu is still considering whether to transfer its stormwater services or retain them in-house. This decision will not impact the establishment of the WS-CCO. 'We'll make a decision on stormwater in due course, but it doesn't prevent us from moving forward with the rest of the WS-CCO implementation,' he said. Mr Manley added that this partnership builds on the strong history of collaboration between the two councils. 'This new water services partnership adds to a growing list of shared services between Ruapehu and Whanganui. Both councils are committed to continuing to explore opportunities that improve efficiency and reduce costs for our communities.'
