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The Chair advised that the staff paper on
this matter has now been withdrawn. Toni Goodlass, HB LASS Programme
Manager, delivered a presentation on the regional 3 Waters review. Discussions
covered:
·
Review of service delivery of drinking water,
stormwater and wastewater
·
Main challenges identified are meeting
community expectations, meeting regulatory requirements and the ability to
replace ageing infrastructure or fund and manage new infrastructure
·
Two work streams of Central Government review
are overarching shape and form of regulatory arrangements and service
delivery and supply
·
Proactively engaging with Central Government as ‘key
region’ to provide input to and influence the national review
·
Challenges to be addressed include funding pressures, rising
environmental standards, climate change, seasonal pressure from tourism, and
the recommendations of the Havelock North Inquiry
·
Stage one assessed the current state, issues and opportunities of
three waters services and infrastructure
·
Stage two is short-listing options and models for improving
three waters management and service delivery leading to recommendation of a
preferred service delivery model for the region
·
drainage and flood protection service functions of the Regional
Council are not in the scope of this review
·
Detailed analysis will be completed and
preferred option report delivered to the five CEs at the end of May
·
The joint councils workshop identified key
objectives and principles for funding of infrastructure, resilience (Physical
infrastructure, people and systems), impacts of the three waters systems on
the environment, Community values for water, the role of Māori and the efficient, effective
provision of services
·
Stakeholders have communicated their broad and
varied interests, emphasising that water and the environment are
interconnected, the cultural significance of water and the impact of
stormwater and wastewater on taonga waterways, understanding that Te Ao
Māori, governance and tikanga, need to be integrated into any new model
·
Examples of different Models were:
o
Centre of Excellence (RATA)
o
Shared Services (like Masterton &
Carterton)
o
Joint Procurement
o
Shared Services Business Unit (like Northland
Transport Alliance)
o
Management CCO (like Wellington Water)
o
Asset Owning CCO (like Watercare in Auckland)
·
Options undergoing detailed evaluation are:
o
“Status Quo” – noting that
the future status quo will be considerably different and will therefore be evaluated
as a modified status quo.
o
Three waters shared services business unit with
current Council funding
o
Three waters regional management CCO with current
council and regional funding
o
Three waters regional asset owning CCO with
regional funding
o
marginal costs and benefits of a sub-national
management CCO will also be considered
·
potential government funding support for
transition costs
·
Regulatory changes proposed for private
drinking water supplies that will also impact on TAs
·
Private supplies are very variable and
proposed regulation would add risk to TAs
·
DHB requested that quantity and peak demand
periods be considered as part of the review, and offers a different
perspective that could add value to the process with participation of the
Public Health team
·
Issues of inequity are a key part of options
assessment
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