Public’s turn to have a say on water services future
Friday, 7 March 2025
The Manawatū District Council will begin community consultation about the future management of its water services, with the preferred option of going it alone.
The Government’s Local Water Done Well legislation means councils have to decide what neighbouring councils to work with to manage their water services.
Manawatū councillors voted on Thursday to put out the district’s public consultation document about Local Water Done Well. The consultation runs from Monday to April 11.
All the councils in the wider region were consulting with their communities about water infrastructure services, although each council has different preferences about who they would work with.
The Palmerston North City Council’s preferred option was a council-controlled water services organisation run jointly with the Manawatū, Horowhenua and Kāpiti Coast district councils.
The four councils working together was also the Horowhenua District Council’s preferred option.
But the preference of the Manawatū and Kāpiti Coast district councils was the status quo of maintaining their own services.
The Rangitīkei District Council’s preferred option was a council-controlled organisation run with the Whanganui and Ruapehu district councils.
Meanwhile, the Tararua District Council was consulting on whether to join a council-controlled organisation with the South Wairarapa, Carterton and Masterton councils or continue to operate water services as a standalone business unit.
The Manawatū District Council’s preference for continuing to manage its water services was based on financial modelling that showed this option was the best for its ratepayers. It also wanted to maintain control over water infrastructure assets.
Option two was a council-controlled water services organisation jointly owned with Palmerston North City.
On average, this would cost Manawatū ratepayers $421 more per year than the status quo over the first 10 years and $426 more per year over the first 20 years.
Option three was a council-controlled water services organisation jointly owned by “the four”: Horowhenua, Kāpiti Coast, Palmerston North and Manawatū.
On average, this would cost ratepayers $364 more per year than the status quo over the first 10 years and $329 more per year over the first 20 years.
“The only option where Manawatū District-connected households aren’t financially disadvantaged is option one, the status quo, where water rates consistently sit lower across the 30-year period,” the council’s consultation document said.
After the council adopted the document, mayor Helen Worboys congratulated councillors.
“This has been a long journey and I am really confident that we have done our homework,” she said.
“We have worked in the best interests of what’s right for our community, and our preferred option stacks up with all of the evidence and data we’re putting together.”
The Rangitīkei District Council preferred to work with other councils, and mayor Andy Watson said working with Whanganui and Ruapehu was the best option.
“We are a large district with a small population and need to be smart and realistic about how we move forward,” he said.
“The average Rangitīkei ratepayer connected to all three water services contributes about 50% of their rates towards water already, so affordability is a big consideration.
“The long-term sustainability of partnership with other councils cannot be underestimated.”
He said the Government still could enforce the formation of a multi-council-controlled organisation if models didn’t meet requirements.
If Rangitīkei maintained the status quo of keeping its water services in-house, it would cost ratepayers more in the long term than if it worked with its neighbours, he said.
Councils would not be able to increase borrowing if they worked alone.
Rangitīkei’s other option was working with as many councils in the Manawatū-Whanganui region as possible, but this was unlikely as those councils had already chosen different models as their preferred option.