Our Most Important Decision in Decades

Submissions are open for the Local Water Done Well Consultation for the Waimate District.

Waimate District, like the rest of New Zealand faces challenges with the delivery of our water services. We have strived to keep our water services affordable for our communities while ensuring we work towards making our water schemes fully compliant with legislation.

Eight years, multiple governments and multiple laws later, we are ready to have a conversation about the future of our water services with our community. Whatever decision we make will have a profound impact on everyone in our district for decades.

Council looked at several scenarios and weighed the risks and benefits of each of them. While keeping our local issues and our community at the centre of our thinking we have shortlisted two water services delivery options for community consultation.

We are proposing either an internal water services unit with changes to meet new legislative requirements or a three-council water services organisation with Mackenzie District and Timaru District Councils.

We assessed both the options against several criteria such as consumer affordability, financial sustainability, capacity, capability and governance. While both options have their pros and cons, it is Waimate District’s stewardship of localism and our unwavering support for local knowledge and community voice in decision-making that has led us to prefer keeping our water services delivery in-house.

We encourage everyone to get involved and ask questions at any of the community chat sessions planned across the district.

To make a submission and find all information about the consultation visit waimatedc.govt.nz/yourwater

Anyone who does not have access to a computer can go to the library.

Printed copies of the consultation document are available at Council reception, library and Waimate Event Centre.

Copies of the submission form are available at Glenavy Store and St Andrews Store as well.

We want all residents and ratepayers of Waimate District to know that this is ‘Your Water. Your Decision’. Have your say!

Submissions close 12pm on Monday 16 June 2025.

Community chat session schedule as follows: