Water Services Policy and Legislation
We provide policy advice and administer legislation to support the Government’s objectives for water services infrastructure.
Updated: 5 April 2024
Local Water Done Well
The Government announced a new direction for water services on 14 December 2023.
Read the Minister’s press release on the Beehive website.
Local Water Done Well is the Government’s plan to address New Zealand’s long-standing water infrastructure challenges.
It recognises the importance of local decision making and flexibility for communities and councils to determine how their water services will be delivered in the future.
It will do this while ensuring a strong emphasis on meeting rules for water quality and investment in infrastructure.
Key principles of Local Water Done Well
- Introducing greater central government oversight, economic and quality regulation.
- Fit-for-purpose service delivery models and financing tools, such as improving the current council-controlled organisation model and developing a new class of financially separate council-owned organisation.
- Setting rules for water services and infrastructure investment.
- Ensuring water services are financially sustainable. Financial sustainability means revenue sufficiency, balance sheet separation, ring-fencing and funding for growth.
Previous water services policy and content
Information about the previous Government’s water services policy and legislation is accessible here:
Archived Water Services Reform Programme information
Contact us
If you have any queries, please email: waterservices@dia.govt.nz.
