Local Water Done Well

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Council adopts new water services entity

Council has voted in favour of creating a new council-controlled organisation for the district’s drinking water and wastewater services, while stormwater services remain within Council.

Mayor Sam Broughton thanked the many Council staff and residents who participated in the consultation process for the time and effort invested to reach this historic decision.

“New regulatory requirements have directed the Council to change the way we deal with our water services. After weighing up all available information, expert opinions and community views it was decided that an independent specialist water services organisation, fully owned by the community, will best serve our district for generations to come,” says Mayor Broughton.

What was proposed

We carried out a public consultation in response to the Government’s Local Water Done Well legislation, The Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024 (the Act) in relation to the arrangements for the delivery of our water services into the future.

We consulted on the following two options:

Set up a Water Services Council-Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) to deliver wastewater and drinking water. Continue to deliver stormwater in-house.
Deliver water services through a future in-house water delivery model.

The public consultation is now closed.

What's next?

Now that we have a decision on the water services delivery model, we can start to work on next steps, specifically what the WSCCO will look like as an organisation. This means confirming the operating model and organisational design. All councils must submit their Water Services Delivery Plans to the Government by 3 September 2025. These plans must outline how water services will be delivered and financed over the next 10 years, ensuring compliance with new regulatory standards.

Establishment of Selwyn Water Limited

As of 1 July, Selwyn Water Limited, the Council's newly established council-controlled organisation (CCO), became operational to deliver drinking water and wastewater services across the district.

On 8 July 2025, Minister for Local Government, Hon. Simon Watts announced that the Council's Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) had been formally approved.

We’re proud to be the first council in New Zealand to establish a water services CCO under the new government framework. While the legal entity is now in place, we are now entering the next phase, a transition period running through to 20 December. During this time, Selwyn Water Limited will operate through a transfer agreement with the Council as it builds its own internal capability.

For now, all water services information, forms and support you need can be found in the water pages on this website. All customer queries can still be directed to 0800 SELWYN (735 996), email water.services@selwyn.govt.nz or Snap Send Solve any issues.

As the next steps are worked through, Selwyn Water Limited will be sharing these with the community along with timelines, in the coming months.

In the meantime, you can find some frequently asked questions below. If you have a question that you'd like answered please email Selwyn Water Limited at hello@selwynwater.co.nz.

You can also visit the Selwyn Water page for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the WSCCO proposed to work?

The management and governance of the drinking and wastewater, as well as the customer service and financing, will be transferred to an independent, council-owned organisation of water experts. Our residents should not notice any difference in the way their water services are delivered.

What services will be delivered by the WSCCO?

The WSCCO will be responsible for the delivery of drinking water and wastewater services within Selwyn District. Water races and other surface waters including stormwater and land drainage will remain the responsibility of Council.

Will there be any service disruptions during the transition?

The transition to the WSCCO is planned to ensure no disruption or change in level of service to our customers.

What does this mean for my water bill?

Water rates will be set for the 2025/26 year under the Annual Plan, following the usual process. Water billing will then transition to the WSCCO.

What will happen to current water infrastructure projects in my area? Will planned upgrades, repairs or maintenance continue as scheduled?

The projects identified in the Long-Term Plan, and any variations identified in the Annual Plan 2025/26, will continue to be delivered. The intended transition to a WSCCO will not cause any disruption to projects and work programmes.

Maintenance and repairs will continue to be delivered by our network management contractor CORDE.

Will I still be able to report leaks and issues the same way? Can I use Snap Send Solve?

Yes, leaks and issues will continue to be reported through Snap Send Solve.

What happens if I have outstanding payments or disputes on my water bill during the transition?

Responsibility for collecting any outstanding payments or resolving disputes related to water bills created by and for SDC will remain with SDC. If the decision is made to establish the WSCCO, then all future billing responsibilities will transfer to the new entity.

How will I be notified about urgent water notices and shutdowns?

These will be notified in the same way that they are now, customers can subscribe to receive urgent water notices by text and email here:

Subscribe to receive our water alerts

Notices will also be published on the website and broadcast via social media.

What transparency controls will be in place for the WSCCO?

The WSCCO will remain accountable to Council who in turn have accountability to the Waikirikiri Selwyn community. A statement of expectation will be put in place between the Council and the WSCCO including the ability to align strategic work programmes.

The WSCCO will be required to publicly publish:

Water Services Strategy
Annual Report
Annual Budget

Council will have the opportunity to provide comment on the WSCCO strategy and reports.

Can I request official information from the WSCCO?

The WSCCO will be subject to LGOIMA, questions can be asked direct to the CCO via section 35A Local Government Act.

Your Water Done Well Council meeting agendas, minutes and reports

You can find out more information, including further frequently asked questions, on our consultation page. You can also read the consultation document below. This outlines all the details of both options that went to the community for consideration.

Submissions, hearing and deliberations

Submissions received

We accepted submissions on our Your Water Done Well consultation between 20 February to 12 March 2025. Submissions have now closed. The submissions received are available to read below.

Hearing

A public hearing (for those who opted to speak to their submission) were held on 20 March 2025. The hearing schedule and a copy of the submissions spoken to are available to read below.

Hearing booklet

Council deliberation

Following the public hearing, Council deliberated on all the community feedback and information received during the consultation in order to make a final decision on the future water services delivery model for Selwyn. Deliberations took place on 26 March 2025. All submitter comments and staff responses are available to read below.

Deliberations booklet

Timeline

20 February - 12 March 2025. Consultation open for community feedback.
20 March 2025 - Council hearing of submissions
26 March 2025 - Council deliberations on submissions
2 April 2025 - Council meeting for final decision

Council hearing of submissions were held on Thursday 20 March from 1pm-5.30pm. Deliberations were held on Wednesday 26 March from 10.30am-4pm. These meetings were streamed live and can be viewed on our You Tube Channel.

Council met for a final decision on Wednesday 2 April at 1pm.

Find out more

The Act requires all councils to explore alternative ways for more reliable water services, and we’re engaging with the community on a proposed change designed to future-proof Waikirikiri Selwyn’s water infrastructure. This change aims to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable water services for generations to come.

The Act allows councils to explore and establish new delivery models for water services. The options include:

Joint Local Government arrangements
A Water Services Council Controlled Organisation (WSCCO)
Consumer Trusts
Continue to deliver water services in-house.

After careful consideration, Council indicated a new WSCCO was its preferred delivery model for drinking water and wastewater services, however we sought community feedback on the following two options.

1.

Set up a WSCCO to deliver wastewater and drinking water. Continue to deliver stormwater in-house.