Wairoa and other Hawke’s Bay Councils have welcomed the Government’s announcement of an enhanced regulatory framework and new standards for the management of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater (3 waters).

Wairoa District Council, Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, Hastings District Council, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Napier City Council, are working together to review the current and potential 3 Waters service delivery options for Hawke’s Bay.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said while it is still early days the Councils now have more clarification around the direction the review is heading.

“Wairoa and other Hawke’s Bay Councils have been advising ratepayers, particularly small communities, that the 3 Waters environment is a rapidly changing field and the statutory requirements are beyond our control.

“We all share responsibility for ensuring our communities enjoy safe and reliable, resilient and efficient drinking waste and stormwater services.

“The investment and regulatory compliance required across Hawke’s Bay is significant, so understanding the scale of capital, operational and regulatory requirements for 3 Waters across the whole region means we can evaluate the opportunities for us to work together.

“The first phase of the review has involved defining key principles and objectives, an assessment of the current state of 3 Waters service delivery across the region and preliminary analysis of potential options.

“Based on the announcements, we can press ahead with greater certainty around the new regulatory standards Government is advancing and with confidence that our review aligns with Government’s objectives. We also note Government is making available a funding process we can access to support this work.”

For more information head to the website of the Department of Internal Affairs.

6 August 2019

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