Aspects of the Government’s reform package, such as setting up large water entities to take over functions from councils, have been contentious and the new prime minister has been urged to pause and listen.
Mr Hipkins assumes office today, taking over from Jacinda Ardern, and he has signalled the Government will refocus on priorities such as tackling the "inflation pandemic".
He has stopped short of committing to a significant mindset shift on Three Waters, but would "make sure that we’re focused in on the right issues".
Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said it was not too late to change course.
Nationwide regulation, regional control and local ownership was a model that would work, he said.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said reform should at least be paused until reform determining the future of local government was carried out.
"Local government is an important partner to central government for the work councils do in looking after communities," Mr Kircher said.
"Only when that is recognised will it be possible to decide how water services should be delivered, including addressing the affordability issue that faces many councils and private water schemes."
Mr Hipkins has also referred to affordability.
"We’ve got between $130 billion and $180 billion worth of investment required in our water assets over the next 30 years or so," he told RNZ.
"Some of the rates increases people could see without further reform in this area could be substantial."
Southland Mayor Rob Scott urged Mr Hipkins to "start listening to our sector with a genuine intent to hear what we are saying".
"I would also ask that he takes a look at the combined effect that the number of reforms happening simultaneously has on our ability as a sector to properly understand, consult and [provide] feedback."
However, Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan said small urban centres needed sustainable solutions now, more than ever.
"Any move to in effect ‘stop Three Waters’ will consign many councils and consequently large numbers of the most vulnerable in our smaller urban townships to extraordinarily challenging financial hardship."
Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark said delaying the start of the water entities by two years to 2026 would ease labour pressures, enabling more water engineers to be trained.
There needed to be further scrutiny of government assumptions about economies of scale and he said the community remained uneasy about co-governance, where iwi input at the strategic level of the entities is proposed to be 50%.
Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said if the new prime minister was minded to continue with reform , "he needs to explain clearly to the public the need for reform and why his Government believes its particular reform plan is the best way forward".
