THE future of Waitaki’s water management will become clearer when the the Waitaki District Council meets today to consider adopting a joint water services council-controlled organisation (CCO) as its preferred model for water services delivery.
This process comes as part of the government’s Local Water Done Well reform, which requires councils to present a plan by September for the future management of water services.
Under the proposed model, Waitaki will join the Southern Water Collective, which includes the Central Otago, Gore, and Clutha district councils.
The collaboration aims to pool resources and streamline water services management.
However, while the council is set to recommend the joint CCO as its preferred option, the proposal will still be subject to public consultation in Waitaki.
In February, Timaru also indicated it wished to join the Southern Water Collective but subsequently withdrew late last month, committing to the South Canterbury collective instead.
Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher expressed disappointment over Timaru’s withdrawal but left the door open for future collaboration, given the likely efficiencies of a larger CCO water entity in the future, he said.
‘‘One of the things we have agreed with them is that these groups will stay in touch.
‘‘If there’s a change in the future, there’s an opportunity to join,’’ he said.
Today’s meeting will also discuss two alternative options for water services in the district: establishing an in-house business unit or creating a standalone Waitaki CCO.
These options are also being considered for public consultation.
Staff recommendations at today’s meeting will urge the council to approve the joint southern water CCO as its preferred option for consultation.
This decision follows earlier deliberations on the 2025-34 Long Term Plan (LTP), where several water service delivery models were discussed.
While the public has already been consulted on some of these options, the water reform plans require a separate stand-alone consultation.
Council director of support services Paul Hope said the council needed to adopt a position on the Local Water Done Well reform in preparation for the upcoming LTP.
Initially, Waitaki had favoured a standalone CCO for water delivery but was open to exploring joint arrangements if they arose.
The southern water CCO emerged as one such option, despite delays caused by Timaru’s late withdrawal.
Mr Hope also explained that the southern water proposal had undergone independent assessment to ensure consistency in financial projections, asset sustainability and compliance with new wastewater standards.
Each of the councils in the southern group had been required to identify a preferred option before opening public consultation.
Although the southern water CCO is the recommended option for Waitaki, the final decision will be made after public input.
