Hawke’s Bay’s mayors have welcomed yesterday’s Government announcement, outlining important detail of the Local Water Done Well reforms.

The announcement from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly sets out the policy detail on the Government’s next tranche of Local Water Done Well legislation, due to be introduced in December and enacted by mid-2025.

Napier Mayor, Kirsten Wise, says the announcement supports the region’s recent commitment to exploring options for a joint approach to the delivery of water services.

“We’ve already been clear that given we face similar challenges as councils, considering a regional approach to water services across Hawke’s Bay is a logical and responsible step to take.”

The commitment to asking communities and mana whenua for their input into the process still stands, reiterates Craig Little, Mayor of Wairoa.

“A critical part of this process will involve asking the people of Hawke’s Bay for their views on how our region’s drinking water, stormwater and wastewater services should be funded and delivered.

“We absolutely want our communities to have a say on whether a regional water services model will best serve their needs.”

Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor, Alex Walker, says the announcement has signalled a potential path towards the certainty needed to deliver sustainable water services while minimising costs on ratepayers, but there is a lot of detail to work through in order to understand the full picture.

“The policy detail released yesterday will arm us with valuable information as we continue this work to explore the merit of a regional water entity.”

Hastings Mayor, Sandra Hazlehurst, says whilst it’s heartening to know we are on the right path undertaking this joint work, it is important to reinforce that no commitment has been made to adopt a regional solution.

“We will need to carefully consider all viable options as we progress this important mahi.”

She says for Hawke’s Bay, this needs to be a model that ensures everyone in our community has secure access to clean, quality water – both now and in the future.

12 August 2024

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