Latest news with #SelwynWater
Techday NZ
3 days ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Selwyn Water partners with Datacom for digital water management
Selwyn Water has partnered with Datacom to provide a digital foundation for the management of water services as the first council-controlled organisation of its kind in New Zealand. This partnership follows the establishment of Selwyn Water by Selwyn District Council to oversee water services for the Selwyn community. The move is part of the council's ongoing commitment to providing safe, reliable, and affordable water services and its proactive approach to water reform. Selwyn District Council selected Datacom's Water Asset Intelligence (WAI) platform to support both the planning and management of water services through Selwyn Water. The WAI platform is a pre-configured solution that builds upon Datacom's existing cloud-based ERP council platform, Datascape, and is designed to help councils efficiently establish and manage their water services CCOs. Service transformation Alex Cabrera, Project Director for the Local Water Done Well initiative at Selwyn District Council, explained the shift in approach enabled by the partnership. "Our vision is to transition from a traditional council provider service to a utilities-type organisation. By investing in future infrastructure and leveraging Datacom's WAI platform, we are building the resilience and efficiency our network needs." Cabrera noted that the implementation process has benefited from collaboration between Selwyn District Council and Datacom. "The Datacom team integrated closely with our project team, bringing technical expertise and problem-solving capabilities. Their local presence allowed for face-to-face collaboration, which was invaluable." He highlighted the efficiency of the implementation process by noting that, "The whole setup was completed in just five and a half months, showing the agility and dedication of both Selwyn Water and Datacom." Supporting council needs Datacom's Water Asset Intelligence platform is positioned as a ready-to-go solution for councils seeking to establish or manage council-controlled organisations for water services. Peter Nelson, Managing Director for Datacom's SaaS products including Datascape, stated: "Our WAI platform is designed to provide a ready-to-go solution for those councils that choose to establish CCOs to manage their water services, supporting them to efficiently and transparently serve their communities now and in the future." Nelson pointed to the platform's compliance benefits, adding, "We are committed to ensuring that councils have the tools they need to deliver high-quality water services. Our platform offers clarity around water services and asset management, ensuring full compliance with government policy and reporting requirements." Digital integration The council-controlled organisation model supported by Datacom's platform aims to integrate core components such as data management, IoT water metering, water network monitoring, billing, and tools for public consultation. This integration is intended to streamline data collection and analysis, improve accuracy in water monitoring, and provide real-time visibility into water network performance. The platform is also designed to simplify billing and customer service processes for council-managed water entities. Cabrera identified the selection of Datacom's platform as a strategic decision for Selwyn Water's long-term development. He said the partnership reflects Selwyn District Council's, "commitment to implementing the right digital infrastructure and being strategic in its investment to ensure Selwyn Water is well-positioned to deliver long-term value to its local community." The WAI platform's scalability is highlighted as a key feature, allowing councils to broaden their digital service offerings in the future as needed. Datacom's ERP council platform Datascape, which serves as the foundation for WAI, is in use by over 75% of councils in New Zealand, indicating its established role within the sector for delivering cloud-based solutions tailored for local government use.
Scoop
08-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
First New Water Services Entity Springs To Life
Selwyn has become the first water services entity to be established under the Government's Water Done Well legislation. Local Government Minister Simon Watts attended the formal launch of Selwyn Water Limited today with Mayor Sam Broughton, local MP Nicola Grigg, and company chair Murray Strong. Watts confirmed at the launch that the Secretary for Local Government, Paul James, had formally accepted Selwyn's Water Services Delivery Plan. Selwyn Water Limited will deliver drinking and wastewater services to around 30,000 households and over 8,000 businesses across New Zealand's fastest-growing region. Broughton said the formation of Selwyn Water marked a major milestone for the District. 'After years of talking about water reforms, we're pleased to have moved to give our residents certainty for the future of drinking and wastewater services. 'Selwyn Water will deliver services that enable community and business development and protect environmental health, it will manage its finances prudently and operate independently from rates.' The councillors had voted 6-5 to move the district's drinking and wastewater to a council controlled organisation (CCO). That decision has received plenty of pushback, with 89% of the submissions calling for the alternative in-house model. Broughton previously said those submissions represented 1% of the population. At the opening, he said most of the things that had been raised by submitters had been considered by the council's three waters subcommittee. 'The council decision was already around a preferred WSCCO to set us up for the future.' Established under the Government'sLocal Water Done Wellframework, Selwyn Water Limited is the first CCO of its kind. It combines public ownership with customer services expertise and will be governed by an independent board. Over the next six months, the council will transfer relevant assets, staff, and systems to ensure a seamless transition and continuity of service. In its annual plan, the council has budgeted around $11 million for the transition to the CCO. It had already budgeted, in November, $2m to support the proposed establishment of a CCO and development of the Water Services Delivery Plan. Selwyn Water chairperson Murray Strong noted that the utility is being built on a strong foundation. 'Selwyn Water will be a 'best in class' public utility company, aligned with Council and Government expectations and subject to oversight from the Commerce Commission and Taumata Arowai. 'Our flexible structure also allows for other councils to partner in future, creating efficiencies and further cost savings across districts.' Broughton was confident that any future amalgamation of services with other councils wouldn't require a new CCO. 'This has been set up and designed from the beginning to be able to shape and change itself, and morph into whatever the future requirements are for the districts that want to be a part of collaborating for Canterbury.' Selwyn MP Nicola Grigg welcomed the launch as a practical response to the community's growth and infrastructure demands. 'I'm very pleased to see the council move to enable this ownership model and look forward to Selwyn Water delivering high standards of service for our people.'
Scoop
08-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Local Water Done Well Delivers First Water Services Entity
Hon Simon Watts Minister of Local Government Selwyn District is the first council in the country to launch its new water services entity, Selwyn Water, meaning safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water and wastewater for ratepayers, Local Government Minister Simon Watts says. 'The launch of Selwyn District's water service entity today marks a significant milestone of water reform, and I look forward to seeing similar Local Water Done Well plans progress in the coming months,' Mr Watts says. 'Selwyn District Council is also the first council to have a Water Services Delivery Plan accepted and approved by the Secretary for Local Government, Paul James and the first to establish a water services council-controlled organisation (CCO) under the Coalition Government's Local Water Done Well policy. 'Selwyn District has demonstrated it has a financially sustainable plan for the delivery of water services that meet health, quality, and environmental standards, along with community expectations. 'I will be watching with interest how Selwyn Water manages the projected price increases for consumers during the initial years of their plan. I expect the Commerce Commission, as the economic regulator, will closely monitor to ensure the delivery of forecast levels of capital investment, justify the price. 'It is also my expectation that Selwyn Water will keep a close eye on its charges for new infrastructure to ensure that growth pays for growth. 'I am encouraged by advice from officials that future partnership opportunities with neighbouring councils are a core consideration in Selwyn District Council's Plan. 'These future partnership opportunities have significant potential to deliver greater efficiencies, standardisation, knowledge sharing, and ultimately, lower costs for consumers. 'Selwyn Water's constitution provides flexibility if other councils and communities seek the benefits of a regional water services CCO. This option bodes well for the future of water services in the wider region. 'The Department of Internal Affairs will continue to encourage councils to progress discussions with neighbours regarding future consolidation of water services for the benefit of consumers.' Mr Watts says Selwyn's progress demonstrates the effectiveness of local leadership when backed by sound, practical Government policy and legislation, including Local Water Done Well. 'Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton, his councillors and staff have the Government's congratulations for their vision and hard work in making such swift progress.'
