Local Water Done Well

Water Services Delivery Plans

Councils must develop Water Services Delivery Plans (Plans) to demonstrate their commitment to delivering waters services that meet regulatory requirements, support growth and urban development and are financially sustainable.

Through these plans, councils will provide an assessment of their current waters infrastructure, how much they need to invest in the future, and how they plan to finance and deliver it through their preferred service delivery model.

The plans are a one-off, transitional requirement under the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024.

Councils are required to prepare and submit these plans, either individually or with other councils, by 3 September 2025 (unless an extension is granted).

View the following link for more about Water Services Policy and Water Services Delivery Plans on the Department of Internal Affairs website.

Water Services delivery model

Councils must determine how they will deliver waters services in future and under Local Water Done Well legislation there are a variety of delivery models from which to choose.

Councils are also able to design their own alternative arrangements, as long as these meet minimum conditions including regulatory standards, financial sustainability through ringfencing of water services and restrictions against privatisation.

Under Local Water Done Well financial model options are also being provided, along with a new regulatory regime for water services.

View the following links for more about water services Future Delivery System and an Overview of delivery models on the Department of Internal Affairs website.

Planned investment

Infrastructure is a priority for Council and the 2024-2034 Long-term Plan includes investment of $427.5m in water supplies ($90.9m), stormwater ($169.2m) and wastewater ($167.4m) infrastructure across the next 10 years.

This includes $84m from the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund for flood management and stormwater infrastructure that will enable housing.

These investments include for the maintenance, operations, renewal and upgrade of our local networks.

Council’s 30-year infrastructure strategy - (PDF, 2.2MB) sets out the current state of core infrastructure in the Rotorua district, the challenges that need to be at the forefront of long-term planning and decision-making and the proactive plan for maintaining, renewing and upgrading our networks.