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Ruapehu, Whanganui Councils Sign Off Joint Water Plan
Ruapehu and Whanganui District Councils have adopted a joint plan for managing drinking water, stormwater and wastewater services in the two districts under a new two-council delivery model.
The Two-Council Water Services Delivery Plan, adopted by each council this week, will be submitted to central government by the 3 September deadline as part of the Local Water Done Well reforms.
If approved, a jointly owned Water Services Council Controlled Organisation (WS-CCO) could be established by mid-2026 and fully operational by mid-2027.
The WS-CCO will take over water service delivery in both districts.
The plan follows the councils’ decisions in July to form a two-council WS-CCO, intended to keep decision-making over water services and assets local while meeting national requirements to improve water quality and address infrastructure investment shortfalls.
Ruapehu District Council chief executive Clive Manley said the plan provides a roadmap for delivering high-quality water services in the two districts.
“Council officers will now work together to deliver on our implementation plan to create a WS-CCO that will deliver the best outcomes for our community with affordability at the forefront of our considerations,” he said.
Ruapehu District Council also agreed this week to transfer urban stormwater assets outside road corridors to the new entity once it is established.
Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford acknowledged the work behind the plan.
“I want to thank staff of both councils who have worked tirelessly under tight timeframes to prepare this plan. At the same time, thanks to our operational teams, who continue to deliver high-quality water services across both districts every day,” he said.
Once the plan is approved by Government, an establishment team will be appointed and a vision and values agreed for the new entity, embedding a Te Awa Tupua approach.
-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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