A close up of a child drinking from a water fountain

Today, Selwyn District Council launched a three-week consultation with our community about creating an independent council-owned organisation to manage our drinking water and wastewater.

The Council formally approved the consultation document yesterday, which outlines the benefits, costs, and risks of the preferred independent water services council-owned organisation (WSCCO) compared to the alternative future in-house water delivery model.

The Council are keen to hear what the community thinks about both options before we finally decide and implement the changes required to meet new Government legislation.

“We want to keep costs as affordable as possible, so we must examine which model provides low-cost certainty in the long term. The analysis shows that within 10 years, the WSCCO will be the cheaper option, and these savings will continue to grow,” explains Selwyn District Council Mayor Sam Broughton.

“If we keep the services in-house, which does have some short-term gains, but with greater uncertainty, our community would be faced with higher ongoing charges in a few years, and so in-house looks less sustainable from a cost-of-living crisis point of view,” says Broughton.

The Mayor says Council staff have done a fantastic job running and investing in our water infrastructure over the past few years.

“However, we have seen political interference in water infrastructure investment around the country, which has led to leaking pipes and a lack of investment. Our preferred option is to keep our water pipes in public ownership, while bringing in the best brains and experience to lead water investment and compliance with future regulatory requirements.”

In November last year, councillors voted to explore the WSCCO for managing drinking water and sewage in response to the Government’s new Local Water Done Well legislation, which created significantly higher expectations for councils regarding water services.

“Councillors retain an open mind and we are keen to hear views from across Selwyn that we may not have already considered. We want to implement the best option to future-proof our water services in line with the Waikirikiri Ki Tua Future Selwyn strategy. " Either way the council would retain control as the sole shareholder, says Broughton.

Selwyn residents can read the full consultation document and make a submission by visiting www.selwyn.govt.nz/yourwater.

The consultation will finish on March 12, and submission hearings will be held on March 20 before the council considers its final decision on April 2.

Last modified: 20 Feb 2025 9:00am