Timaru District Council joins southern local body collaboration

Southern mayors are welcoming yesterday’s (4 March 2025) decision by the Timaru District Council to join them in exploring options for the delivery of water services in the future.

In one of the most significant collaborations in South Island local government, Timaru has committed to work with the Waitaki, Clutha, Central Otago, and Gore district councils to deliver on the Government’s Local Water Done Well programme.

The five councils will form the Southern Water Done Well Steering Group.

Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher, Clutha District Mayor Bryan Cadogan, Central Otago District Mayor Tamah Alley and Gore District Mayor Ben Bell spoke with Timaru district councillors before yesterday’s Council meeting.

In a joint statement, the mayors said the Southern Water Done Well partnership challenges the status quo and proves that all councils – big or small - can be bold leaders.

“We're committed to turning over every rock to find water delivery solutions that provide real value for our ratepayers while maintaining the local voice our communities demand.”

By September this year, the group (as with all New Zealand councils) must have identified the best options for delivering water services in the future, talked to their communities about them, and produced a Water Services Delivery Plan.

The plans will show how councils intend to deliver water services that meet regulatory requirements, support growth and urban development, and are financially sustainable.

Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen said he was looking forward to progressing the group's ideas and seeing how they fit with the needs of the Timaru District community.

“We face many challenges in providing high quality water services to our community in the long term, not only financial ones,” he said.

”From this decision today, we get to join forces with a group of like-minded councils to consider how best we could work together to provide this critical infrastructure in a sustainable way.”

The commitment agreement passed today sets out the process to consider the design of a joint council-controlled organisation (CCO) and how it compares to other practicable options, such as leaving water services in-house or setting up a standalone Council CCO.

A complete analysis of the three options, including the impact on each council’s rates,

debt and levels of service, would be presented for community feedback at the end of April.

Prior to public consultation, the councils must identify their preferred option from the three analysed.