Working together, Waikato Waters transition
A King Country council appeared to move a step closer this week after comments from Local Government minister Simon Watts.
Ōtorohanga mayor Rodney Dow and Waitomo mayor John Robertson were among those at a mayoral forum which met Watts after a ceremony in Cambridge marking the handover of water services to Waikato Waters.
On top of Waikato water, from left South Waikato mayor Gary Petley, Waikato Waters board members Jon Lamonte, Jaydene Kana and chair Elena Trout, Waitomo, Waipā, Hauraki and Ōtorohanga mayors John Robertson, Mike Pettit, Toby Adams and Rodney Dow. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Dow and Robertson back a merger between their two councils and confirmed to The News they had yet to hear from southern neighbour Ruapehu about whether it wants to be part of a wider, more traditional King Country council, a connection both mayors have previously pointed to in support of closer alignment.
Taumarunui, and to a lesser extent Ohakune and Raetihi, have long-standing ties to Te Rohe Pōtae, the King Country, alongside Te Kūiti and Ōtorohanga.
From July 1, Waitomo district and from July 1 next year Ōtorohanga district, will see their drinking water and wastewater services shift into Waikato Waters, which will eventually serve more than 170,000 people across the wider Waikato region.
The other councils are Waipā, Hauraki, South Waikato and Matamata-Piako. Ruapehu is not part of Waikato Waters and is instead progressing a joint water services arrangement with Whanganui District Council.
Watts said the way Waikato councils had worked together to establish Waikato Waters showed how collaboration could help shape future local government structures.
“They’re using the experience from what they’ve done in water to guide them on that process, more efficiency, greater simplification,” he said.
“The intent and the objective is to simplify local government … it’s for the local communities here in the Waikato to work out what is the model that works best.”
Watts left the ceremony at the Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant to attend the Waikato Mayoral Forum, which includes Hamilton and Waikato district councils and Waikato Regional Council, where discussions included what reform might look like across the region.
Mayors talking amalgamation? From left Rodney Dow (Ōtorohanga), Mike Pettit (Waipā) and John Robertson (Waitomo). Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Dow and Robertson were talking with Waipā mayor Mike Pettit during the water ceremony, underlining the conversations already under way between councils about future structures.
South Waikato mayor Gary Petley was also asked by The News about progress on his council’s position and whether discussions were under way with Rotorua and Taupō councils.
He said councillors would be workshopping those options in the coming days.
The reform conversation comes as Waikato Waters prepares to shift from establishment into operations after more than two years of planning.
Hauraki mayor Toby Adams, speaking on behalf of the shareholder councils, said they had common challenges.
They included ageing infrastructure, rising costs and increasing regulatory requirements, all of which have put pressure on smaller councils.
The new Waikato Waters model is expected to allow for more efficient investment, improve financial sustainability and ease pressure on ratepayers over time.
For residents in Ōtorohanga and Waitomo, changes in the first year are expected to be minimal, and councils will continue to handle billing and customer contact.
Behind the scenes, however, work is under way to understand the condition and performance of assets across the six councils to guide future investment decisions.
See: A water milestone
Working together, from left Ōtorohanga, Hauraki and Waipā mayors Rodney Dow, Toby Adams and Mike Pettit, Waikato Waters board member Jaydene Kana, Waitomo mayor John Robertson, board member Jon Lamonte, South Waikato mayor Gary Petley and board chair Elena Trout. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
