New model for affordable water reforms

Following consultation on 13 April 2023 the Government announced changes to its initial proposed model, to meet concerns from councils and communities.

The new proposal is for 10 regionally led entities rather than the four originally proposed. Entities would be owned by local councils and run by a professional board. Selwyn would be part of the proposed Canterbury, West Coast entity.

New legislation is due to be passed before the 2023 general election.

New entities are due to be in place by 1 July 2026.

The Council understands the need to address issues faced by other councils, to ensure New Zealanders receive safe, affordable water. However, the case for change for Selwyn has not been made and while it is good to see efforts to move decision making closer to our community, it is not clear that Selwyn ratepayers will benefit from these reforms.

Selwyn's water networks are relatively new and well-maintained and the costs for our residents are some of the lowest in the country.

Next steps

Ensuring Selwyn receives benefits through reform and doesn’t just pay twice to improve others’ systems on top of our own is an ongoing concern.

The Council will continue to advocate strongly through this process to ensure Selwyn communities have access to safe, high quality water and wastewater services and that future improvements are continually delivered.