Tauranga City Council has established an elected member working group to help guide the city’s transition to a new multi-council Water Organisation (WO), which is planned to be in place by 1 July 2027, subject to the outcome of due diligence processes.
Water, water everywhere
The working group will play a key role in shaping the future delivery of water services – treated water reticulation; wastewater reticulation, treatment and disposal; and stormwater collection and disposal – in partnership with the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, and potentially other councils in due course.
The multi-council WO model is designed to improve access to funding for water infrastructure, create advantages of scale and deliver high-quality, affordable water services to communities. Early modelling shows potential savings of around $3,000 per connection over a 10-year period, compared to in-house delivery of water services.
A commitment agreement has been signed with the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, enabling both councils to begin due diligence.
The elected member working group will oversee that the process and ensure that the partnership outcomes provided by a Water Organisation reflect the needs and priorities of Tauranga’s communities.
In September 2025, Tauranga City Council submitted its Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) to the Department of Internal Affairs.
Mahe Drysdale
The plan outlines how the city will manage water supply, wastewater and stormwater services over the next decade and was recently approved by the Department of Internal Affairs.
Council elected members acknowledge that the work programme ahead is a significant undertaking, but we need to set our city up to keep delivering great quality, cost-effective water services far into the future.
While most of the work will happen behind the scenes, residents can be assured that the Council’s priority remains delivering affordable and sustainable water services.
No immediate changes will be noticeable for our customers, as the transition is carefully planned over the next two years and will only go ahead if we’re comfortable with the due diligence findings.
This work aligns with the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025, which came into effect on 27 August this year, establishing a new framework for how councils across Aotearoa deliver water services for their communities.
We will be looking to keep the community informed as we progress the due diligence and work towards the establishment of a Water Organisation to serve the Western Bay region.
Other councils could potentially become partners in the WO, but that will naturally be dependent on further due diligence
processes confirming that any wider partnerships will deliver positive results for all parties.
As this is my last Business News column for 2025, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all readers a merry Christmas and a happy and relaxing festive season.
I hope you all can enjoy some quality time with friends and family, and that the new year will signal a return to more prosperous times. Take care and be safe.
Water Done Well
