Latest news with #LWDW
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Council Backs Joint Approach For Water Services
Press Release – Kaipara District Council Kaipara District Council Mayor Craig Jepson says collaborating with the other Northland councils is necessary. Kaipara District Council has completed its deliberations on the future delivery model for water services, following community consultation as part of the Government's Local Water Done Well (LWDW) legislation. After reviewing feedback from 66 submitters, including businesses, organisations, and individuals, elected members agreed to pursue a multi-council controlled organisation as its priority model for water and wastewater services. This approach also received the strongest support from the community, with 60% of submissions favouring a collaborative Northland-wide effort to deliver infrastructure, maintenance, and service delivery for waters. Alternative options considered included a shared service contract model with one or more councils, and an in-house business model. Kaipara District Council Mayor Craig Jepson says collaborating with the other Northland councils is necessary. 'Reliable water services are important for our communities, so we need to make smart choices that keep them as affordable as possible and running smoothly for the long haul,' said Mayor Jepson. 'We know the cost of delivering water services is going to increase but we need to be in a position where we not only maintain efficient and affordable services but still maintain our community input on how these are managed. Representatives of Kaipara District Council are working alongside elected representatives from other Northland councils through a Local Water Done Well Working Group, with the goal of further investigating collaborative opportunities for water service delivery. Kaipara District Council Chief Executive Jason Marris said the decision today means staff will be working to finalise the Water Services Delivery Plan within the legislative timeframes. 'We're working closely with our Northland counterparts to support the working group in shaping a path forward. The decision today provides a good step to achieve what our community has signalled.'
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Council Backs Joint Approach For Water Services
Kaipara District Council has completed its deliberations on the future delivery model for water services, following community consultation as part of the Government's Local Water Done Well (LWDW) legislation. After reviewing feedback from 66 submitters, including businesses, organisations, and individuals, elected members agreed to pursue a multi-council controlled organisation as its priority model for water and wastewater services. This approach also received the strongest support from the community, with 60% of submissions favouring a collaborative Northland-wide effort to deliver infrastructure, maintenance, and service delivery for waters. Alternative options considered included a shared service contract model with one or more councils, and an in-house business model. Kaipara District Council Mayor Craig Jepson says collaborating with the other Northland councils is necessary. "Reliable water services are important for our communities, so we need to make smart choices that keep them as affordable as possible and running smoothly for the long haul," said Mayor Jepson. "We know the cost of delivering water services is going to increase but we need to be in a position where we not only maintain efficient and affordable services but still maintain our community input on how these are managed. Representatives of Kaipara District Council are working alongside elected representatives from other Northland councils through a Local Water Done Well Working Group, with the goal of further investigating collaborative opportunities for water service delivery. Kaipara District Council Chief Executive Jason Marris said the decision today means staff will be working to finalise the Water Services Delivery Plan within the legislative timeframes. 'We're working closely with our Northland counterparts to support the working group in shaping a path forward. The decision today provides a good step to achieve what our community has signalled.' View the council discussion and decision on the (from 1:03:41).
Scoop
11-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Local Water Done Not So Well: Public Understanding And Confidence In Framework Severely Lacking
Press Release – Local Water Done Well An additional 19 per cent said they had heard of it but didnt know any details, bringing the total number of respondents with no real knowledge of the framework to 74 per cent, or nearly three out of four people. As many district councils across the country are currently seeking public feedback on proposed models for delivering water services and who pays for it, under the Local Water Done Well (LWDW) legislative framework, new data from Perceptive, New Zealand's leading insights and market research agency, raises an important question: is the public informed enough to be weighing in? While the LWDW framework plays a key role in shaping how waste, storm and drinking water services are planned, built and paid for in New Zealand, more than half of respondents (55 per cent) said they had never heard of it, with one person stating, 'I have absolutely no idea what it is about.' An additional 19 per cent said they had heard of it but didn't know any details, bringing the total number of respondents with no real knowledge of the framework to 74 per cent, or nearly three out of four people. Only a small proportion of those who were surveyed feel informed, with 4 per cent reporting a good understanding of the framework. Mark Vincett, Director of Strategy at Perceptive, says this highlights an opportunity for councils across the country to better inform residents ahead of and during consultation phase, especially as 85 per cent of New Zealanders rely on water provided by councils. 'The lack of public awareness and understanding of LWDW is concerning and shows that more needs to be done to educate the public,' says Vincett. 'There's a big risk that Kiwis won't engage in the consultation phase if they don't know what it's about or how it can affect them.' 'Being better informed helps to nurture trust, so it's not surprising that the data also shows there's mixed public confidence in whether or not councils can decide on the best way to deliver regional water services.' When asked about their councils' ability to deliver under the LWDW framework, one fifth (21 per cent) said they do not trust the council to choose the best option, with 36 per cent being unsure and 43 per cent trusting their council. Some also took the time to mention that LWDW feels like a rebrand of the former Three Waters policy without any improvements, with one respondent saying 'Seems like we are redoing Three Waters… I wish our governments would stop undoing each other's work.' Notes: The survey was conducted by Perceptive with a sample size of 1,325 individuals. The survey was conducted between January – March 2025. All respondents are over 18 years old. Key survey questions and datasets are below. Regional and raw data tables available on request. Have you heard of 'Local Water Done Well'? I have never heard of it 55% I have heard of it, but don't know anything about it 19% I have heard of it and know a bit about it 13% I have good knowledge of this plan 4% Don't know 8% I trust my local council's ability to objectively and impartially assess the options and choose the best delivery method for the current and future water services in my area. Strongly agree 4% Agree 39% Neither 36% Disagree 13% Strongly disagree 8% How is your home's drinking water provided?
Scoop
11-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Local Water Done Not So Well: Public Understanding And Confidence In Framework Severely Lacking
As many district councils across the country are currently seeking public feedback on proposed models for delivering water services and who pays for it, under the Local Water Done Well (LWDW) legislative framework, new data from Perceptive, New Zealand's leading insights and market research agency, raises an important question: is the public informed enough to be weighing in? While the LWDW framework plays a key role in shaping how waste, storm and drinking water services are planned, built and paid for in New Zealand, more than half of respondents (55 per cent) said they had never heard of it, with one person stating, 'I have absolutely no idea what it is about.' An additional 19 per cent said they had heard of it but didn't know any details, bringing the total number of respondents with no real knowledge of the framework to 74 per cent, or nearly three out of four people. Only a small proportion of those who were surveyed feel informed, with 4 per cent reporting a good understanding of the framework. Mark Vincett, Director of Strategy at Perceptive, says this highlights an opportunity for councils across the country to better inform residents ahead of and during consultation phase, especially as 85 per cent of New Zealanders rely on water provided by councils. 'The lack of public awareness and understanding of LWDW is concerning and shows that more needs to be done to educate the public,' says Vincett. 'There's a big risk that Kiwis won't engage in the consultation phase if they don't know what it's about or how it can affect them.' 'Being better informed helps to nurture trust, so it's not surprising that the data also shows there's mixed public confidence in whether or not councils can decide on the best way to deliver regional water services.' When asked about their councils' ability to deliver under the LWDW framework, one fifth (21 per cent) said they do not trust the council to choose the best option, with 36 per cent being unsure and 43 per cent trusting their council. Some also took the time to mention that LWDW feels like a rebrand of the former Three Waters policy without any improvements, with one respondent saying 'Seems like we are redoing Three Waters… I wish our governments would stop undoing each other's work.' Notes: The survey was conducted by Perceptive with a sample size of 1,325 individuals. The survey was conducted between January - March 2025. All respondents are over 18 years old. Key survey questions and datasets are below. Regional and raw data tables available on request. Have you heard of 'Local Water Done Well'? I have never heard of it 55% I have heard of it, but don't know anything about it 19% I have heard of it and know a bit about it 13% I have good knowledge of this plan 4% Don't know 8% I trust my local council's ability to objectively and impartially assess the options and choose the best delivery method for the current and future water services in my area. Strongly agree 4% Agree 39% Neither 36% Disagree 13% Strongly disagree 8% How is your home's drinking water provided? Council/town supply 85%
Scoop
30-04-2025
- General
- Scoop
Taranaki Councils Seek Public Input On Options To Deliver Future Water Services
New Plymouth, Stratford and South Taranaki district councils are proposing to team up to establish a regional council-controlled organisation to deliver future drinking water and wastewater services to Taranaki residents, with public feedback opening today. The regional Water Services Council-Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) is the proposed option the three councils are seeking community input on, as each Council looks to meet the government's Local Water Done Well (LWDW) strategy to tackle New Zealand's water infrastructure issues. While the regionwide organisation is the proposed way to deliver the safe, reliable and affordable services required under LWDW, the councils have put up other options as well. All three have an option to continue delivering all water services (including stormwater) through an in-house business unit, similar to what they do now but with some changes to meet new legislative requirements. Additionally, NPDC is consulting on an option for its own WSCCO. Taranaki Mayoral Forum chair and Stratford District Council Mayor, Neil Volzke says the councils started looking at a range of options in March last year, a big part of the discussion being what a joint water services model could look like in Taranaki. 'What was clear from the extensive investigations was that, by working together a regional model was a viable option well worth looking at and this has become the proposed model for each council.' He says reforming water services is a significant and complex issue with a range of advantages and disadvantages inherent in every model being considered. 'This is an incredibly important decision, probably one of the biggest that we have faced in many years which is why it will be important to hear from our communities on what they believe is the best long-term option.' Due to the nature of stormwater services, including it being influenced by other council services, such as roads, parks and land management, and growth planning, stormwater will continue to be delivered by each council. To find out more and ways to have your say go to each council's website: Stratford District Council: New Plymouth District Council: South Taranaki District Council. Submissions close 5pm, Friday 30 May. Fast Facts Local Water Done Well is the Government's plan to tackle New Zealand's water infrastructure issues. It recognises local decision-making and flexibility, allowing councils to choose to deliver water services on their own or with other councils. All councils must submit a draft Water Services Delivery Plan to the Department of Internal Affairs for approval, 3 September 2025.
