Water Services Delivery Plans

Water Services Delivery Plans (Plans) are a way for councils to demonstrate their commitment to deliver water services that meet regulatory requirements, support growth and urban development, and that are financially sustainable.

Through the development of Plans, councils will provide an assessment of their water infrastructure, how much they need to invest, and how they plan to finance and deliver it through their preferred water service delivery model.

Plans are a one-off, transitional requirement under the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024.

The Act sets out the content, timeframe and process for developing and accepting Plans.

Councils are required to prepare Plans, either individually or with other councils, by 3 September 2025 (unless an extension is granted).

On this page:

• Guidance, templates and supporting materials
• What support is available?
• Frequently Asked Questions (updated April 2025)
• Further support

Guidance, templates and supporting materials

The Department has developed Plan guidance, templates and other supporting materials to support councils’ development of Plans.

Further information and guidance to inform councils’ consideration of future water services delivery arrangement is available here: Information and guidance for councils

Further information about the enduring settings under Local Water Done Well is available here: Future Delivery System

Guidance for developing your Plan

This guidance is to assist councils to develop their Plans. It covers:

• A high-level outline of the Plan development process, from preparation and development through to adoption, review and acceptance of Plans
• Legislative requirements for Plans, including content, development process, engagement with communities, submission, acceptance and review, and implementation
• Matters to consider for councils that are proposing to develop a joint Plan
• Guidance and support available to develop Plans.

Councils should review this Plan guidance in detail, alongside the Plan template and other supporting materials, before beginning development of their Plans.

Read Guidance for preparing Water Services Delivery Plans (PDF, 587KB, 52 pages) (updated October 2024)

View the Indicative timeline for Water Services Delivery Plan development (PDF, 132KB) (November 2024) 

Template for Plans

This template is for councils to use to develop their Plan. It includes additional guidance for joint council Plans.

The template is pre-populated with instructions about what information needs to be included in each part of the Plan.

The template can be used ‘as is’ by councils preparing individual plans. Where groups of councils choose to submit a joint plan, they will need to work with the Department to identify an agreed approach to populate the financial and asset information for the joint arrangement. 

Most of the information needed to complete the Plan template is expected to be able to be sourced from councils’ existing public documents. For example, long-term plans, financial accounts and asset management plans.

A separate template for financial projections is available in Excel format, to help councils develop the financial projections for their Plan, and to inform the financial sustainability test.

Download the Water Services Delivery Plan template (DOCX, 269KB, 28 pages)

Template for financial projections and financial sustainability test

This template is to assist councils in developing the financial projections and financial measures to support councils’ self-assessment of financial sustainability, required as part of their Plans.

The template is for councils to populate with their data. It is pre-populated with calculations and chart references, to enable councils to create the information and charts required in the Plan template.

The Department will prepare a version of this template populated with publicly available council data (from councils’ long-term plans), on councils’ request. We encourage all councils to request a populated financial model, which you can do my emailing the Plan team at wsdp@dia.govt.nz.

Download the Water Services Delivery Plan financial template (XLSX, 99KB)

Further information about financial considerations and guidance for councils is available here: Information and guidance for councils

What support is available?

The Department of Internal Affairs is available to support councils in the development of their Plans. This includes:

• Holding virtual information sessions with councils to provide information and guidance
• Providing technical support, such as with Council led financial analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about the Plan development process are here:

Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 320KB, 12 pages) (updated April 2025)

These FAQs are updated on regular basis.

Councils are encouraged to contact the Plan team at wsdp@dia.govt.nz if they need support or have questions.

Further support

If a council or a group of councils need support with developing their Plan, they can ask the Minister of Local Government to appoint a Crown facilitator or Crown water services specialist (at the council’s expense) by making a request in writing.

The Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024 enables the Minister of Local Government to appoint a Crown facilitator(s) or Crown water services specialist, if it would be beneficial to assist a council(s) to prepare a Plan that meets legislative requirements.

Each appointment and term will depend on the individual circumstances of the council(s).

About these roles

Support option	About the role
Crown Facilitator	The role of a Crown facilitator is to assist a council or group of councils to prepare or give effect to a Water Services Delivery Plan. A Crown facilitator can provide tailored guidance, facilitate collaboration among councils, or assist with joint planning efforts. These facilitators are not necessarily there to impose decisions but to help councils develop robust, achievable and financially sustainable Plans that meet their unique needs. For example, a Crown facilitator could guide a council through the preparation of a Plan or work with multiple councils to facilitate or negotiate a joint Plan. If requested and agreed upon by the councils, the facilitator can also determine the terms of a joint arrangement to help resolve challenges and ensure progress. A Crown facilitator can be an individual or a panel of people, enabling access to a range of specialist expertise and experience. Find out more about Crown Facilitators and the Crown Facilitator appointment process (PDF, 179KB).
Crown water services specialist	The role of a Crown water services specialist can include to prepare a Plan on behalf of a council or group of councils, and (if necessary) to direct the council(s) to adopt, submit and implement this Plan.

A written request for a Crown facilitator or Crown water services specialist can be sent directly to the Minister, or the Department via email to wsdp@dia.govt.nz.