Can Wairarapa and Tararua fix the Masterton water leak?

By Ray Lilley

South Wairarapa and Carterton have abandoned the Wellington regional 10-member water services plan, opting to seek partnerships with Masterton and Tararua _ a strategy which may not proceed after Masterton flew the coop.

The new water services line-up/mash-up of what was recommended as a four-strong grouping and has been named “Wai + T” was given a big tick as a viable water services option by officials, southern councillors, analysts and consultants.

Then Masterton stepped away from the Wairarapa option on a split vote.

Its council staff had recommended Masterton exit the proposed Wellington regional model and consult only on a Wairarapa model and an enhanced status quo model, but five councillors voted against. 

The two southern councils are seeking to focus their energies on developing a Wairarapa water model to consult their residents on alongside a so-called “status quo” option early next year. 

Status quo would see the current water system continue operating _ an option not seen as tenable by councillors, staff,  consultants _ or ratepayers facing mounting water bills.

SWDC councillors were unanimous in opting for the “Wai+T” water services model, ending links with the Wellington regional model while admitting that continuing with the current stand-alone asset ownership model was untenable _ financially and in many other ways.

Without reform, South Wairarapa households could face an average annual water bill of $7,000 by 2035. Under the Wairarapa water services model, that annual water bill could be just over $5,000 in South Wairarapa. 

The Wellington regional model would see the average water bill reach about $4,300 by 2035.

Opting for the “Wai+T” option meant access to lower-cost debt financing, development of a Water Services Council Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) which would own the currently council-owned water assets and have the ability to incur much greater debt levels than now are available.

The “extraordinary” council meeting was to the point.  

Deputy mayor Melissa Sadler-Futter had deep concerns about the financial impacts of the government’s Local Water Done Well reforms. Despite being one of the 10 councils signed in to the Regional water option, she said “we need to exit the regional model _ as the costs just continue to rise.”

Councillor Aidan Ellims stressed concerns about affordability and said the council must bear this in mind as it entered its Long Term Plan process.

Councillor Alistair Plimmer said comparing the Wellington and Wairarapa models was “chalk and cheese,” while a local model “gives us the option to set our own destiny as Wairarapa people. without worrying about what is happening on the other side of the island or in Wellington.”

It was also not acceptable that the Regional group would only accept one Iwi representative at its planning table _ meaning one of Wairarapa’s two Iwi would be excluded.

Councillor Colin Olds, SWDC rep on the 10-member regional water planning group, said “the ‘Wai+T’ option “is a breath of fresh air. Wairarapa would be left high and dry by the current (regional) option…. I want to exit the Wellington (regional) model.”

 The motion said: “(SWDC) resolves to exit the joint Wellington Region Water Services Delivery Plan project.” The vote was unanimous.

Also approved: SWDC’s chief executive drafting an agreement “for the development of a joint ‘Wai+T’ water services delivery plan for council to sign off.”

Sadler-Futter noted overall “that is a big decision.”

Officials said public consultation on the “Wai+T” and status quo options wil likely take place over February-March 2025.

(Full data on “Local Water Done Well” is at: https://swdc.govt.nz/meeting/council-13-november-2024/  then Click: DC Extraordinary_Agenda_13Nov2024.pdf)