Central Government is reforming the way water services (drinking water, stormwater and wastewater) are delivered to New Zealanders. Taituarā is committed to working with councils to support the transition, and ensure councils can deliver well-being outcomes for their communities.
Latest information from the Government
You can find the latest news and details about the Water Services Reform Programme on the Department of Internal Affairs website.
There is also this website designed for a wider public audience.
Updates from Taituarā
11 July 2023 update: Taituarā called on Water Services Entities Amendment Bill - On 10 July 2023 our Chief Advisor, Raymond Horan appeared before the Governance and Administration Committee. This was a slightly unusual case in that it was the Select Committee itself that initiated the request. As the video recording shows, the Committee wanted to talk through proposals for national pay scales for the water entities, establishment dates, as well as development contributions.
13 April 2023 update: Water infrastructure reforms - The Rt Hon Chris Hipkins and the Hon Kieran McAnulty, Minister of Local Government, announced the Government's long-awaited changes to its water infrastructure strategy this morning.
2 March 2023 media release: Taituarā makes Three Waters recommendations to government - On 2 March 2023, Chief Advisor Raymond Horan met with Parliament's Finance and Expenditure Committee to discuss our submissions on the Water Services Legislation Bill and Water Services Economic Efficiency and Consumer Protection Bill. As a managerial organisation our role is to make policy decisions workable.
5 September 2022 media release: Taituara submits on Water Services Entities Bill - On Monday our President Sanchia Jacobs, Chief Executive Karen Thomas, and Chief Advisor Raymond Horan appeared before Parliament's Finance and Expenditure Committee to discuss the Taituarā submission on the Water Services Entities Bill.
25 July 2022 update: Proposed staff transition guidelines for three waters released - On Friday 22 July 2022, the National Transition Unit released its proposed guidelines and supporting material for staff transferring to the new three waters entities for feedback by 11.59 pm on Monday 22 August 2022.
28 June 2022 media release: A lot still to do on water reforms - “The introduction of the Water Services Entities Bill marks the mid-point of the three waters journey” says Raymond Horan, Chief Advisor of Taituarā. “This includes improvements to the current Bill and the development of the second Bill slated for introduction towards the end of September”.
1 June 2022 media release: Key takeaways from the Rural Supplies Technical Working Group's report into rural drinking water supplies - The Rural Supplies Technical Working Group recently released its Report into rural drinking water supplies. This is relevant specifically to those councils with rural drinking water and mixed-use supplies in their rohe. In this article our Chief Executive Karen Thomas outlines key takeaways from the Report and shares thoughts on future directions for this work.
3 May 2022 media release: A tour of the Government Response to the Three Waters Governance Group report
On 29 April 2022 the Ministers of Finance and Local Government announced the Government’s response to the report of the Independent Group on Three Waters Governance and Accountability (the Group). In essence the Government has accepted the Group’s recommendations pretty much ’as is‘. Of the 47 recommendations, the Government has agreed with 44 and signalled it is working on two further recommendations.
29 April 2022 media release: Taituarā President responds to Government's Three Waters announcement - Taituarā notes the Government’s Three Waters announcement and thanks the Working Group for their report and recommendations.
5 April 2022 update: Three Waters 'better off' funding for local authorities - The Government has announced the first tranche of funding for Three Waters work totalling $500 million dollars.
17 March 2022 media release: Three Waters Rural Supplies Technical Working Group and water governance - In addition to the analysis of the Working Group on Representation, Governance and Accountability’s report and our own Taituarā analysis, we would like to highlight that the Three Waters Rural Supplies Technical Working Group is continuing to progress its work.
10 March 2022 media release: Taituarā responds to Three Waters Governance Group Report - The Working Group on Representation, Governance and Accountability of new Water Services Entities reported back to the Minister for Local Government Nanaia Mahuta yesterday with 47 recommendations. Taituarā welcomes the Report and would like to offer some commentary on its contents.
27 October 2021 media release: Taituarā Executive Board welcomes certainty created by Three Waters decision - Today the Minister of Local Government announced the future direction for the Three Waters service delivery component of the Three Waters Reform Programme – to introduce legislation to create four publicly-owned water entities.
20 August 2021 media release: Three waters: Local Authority Indicative Financial Impact Tool - In support of the Three Waters Reform process, the Department of Internal Affairs has developed a high-level financial impact tool to give individual councils an indication of how the proposed transfer of water-related debt, assets and revenues may affect their financial position, credit ratings and/or financial covenants.
10 August 2021 media release: Three waters Model Report available - Last month the Government announced a $2.5 billion package to support councils as part of the three waters reform programme. The Model Report has been released and is available in this article.
4 August 2020 media release: Three Waters Reform Programme Investment Package - On 8 July, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Local Government announced a three-year programme for reforming three waters service delivery arrangements, to be delivered in parallel with an economic stimulus package of Crown investment