The Government has brought in new legislation (rules) called Local Water Done Well for council-supplied water services: drinking water, wastewater and urban stormwater. These rules mean the three services must be cost-effectively managed and achieve Government-set standards.  By 2028, all councils must have a system in place that achieves these standards. 

There are three options for us to choose from;

• A regional Council Controlled Organisation (CCO); one organisation managing water services for Hastings, Napier, Central Hawke’s Bay, and Wairoa councils (preferred option of all four councils).
• A Hastings-only CCO; Hastings District Council would set up its own company to run Hastings water services.
• Keep running it by a Council team; In-house delivery, where Hastings District Council keeps running water services as it does now, but with major changes to meet legal requirements.

A CCO is a company owned by one or more councils. It has its own board, is not-for-profit and focuses on what the council or councils want. Water CCOs must stay owned by the public and cannot be sold. 

Because it:

• is the most cost-effective of the options supported by Government; current models show the cost to households at about $2600 less over 10 years
• helps Council lower its debt, which means money will be available for emergencies or other important projects
• works better by sharing staff, systems and buying things in bulk
• enables us to better prepare for emergencies and climate change.

Council(s) won’t run the services day-to-day but will set the main goals and check the CCO is doing a good job through a ‘Statement of Expectations’ document. 

If Hastings joins a regional or local CCO, our water pipes, plants, and debt move to the new organisation. People will still only pay for water services (things like maintenance and new infrastructure) and debt for their own area, at least in the interim.  Any change to that will need to be agreed by all of the councils. 

• Option 2 (Hastings-only CCO): About $400 more per year by 2034
• Option 3 (In-house): About $380 more per year by 2034.

These options cost more because they don’t benefit from shared resources or provide more buying power.

Government is developing new, stricter standards that will require more money to be spent to upgrade the assets used to deliver drinking water, wastewater and urban stormwater. 

• It involves a number of councils so is more complicated to set up.
• Hastings will have less control because decisions are shared by a board representing all four councils.
• It costs more at the start to set up, but ongoing costs are shared across the councils.

• Higher cost than a regional CCO.
• Harder to attract qualified staff when competing against larger organisations.
• Hastings will need to fund all the costs of setting up and running a CCO.

• Council would have much higher debt.
• Less money to upgrade or fix water systems.
• Much harder (if not impossible) to meet new Government rules and standards.
• Fewer specialist workers.
• Might have to cut other services to pay for water services.

No; Hastings District Council is asking what you think before making a final decision. It is not a referendum decided by number of votes, but your feedback is important and will help shape the future of water services in our district. 

No, Council will make the final choice. They will listen to your feedback but must also consider what is best for everyone now and in the future, and what the Government expects. 

While the details are yet to be confirmed, most likely yes if options 1 or 2 are chosen.  If we continue to deliver three waters from within Council, all water charges must still be shown separately on the rates bill.  

There are separate charges for wastewater and drinking water, however urban stormwater is charged under the general rate. 

Under options 1 and 2, all water charges will be moved off rates bills and charged separately by the new organisation, so rate bills will be lower.

No. The law says water services must stay publicly owned.

No. While the overall costs (things like finance, staff and IT) will be shared, people in Hastings will only pay for water infrastructure in Hastings. Each area’s water money will be kept separate, at least to start with, and that cannot change without the agreement of all the councils with services being managed under the CCO. 

Not automatically. The entity looking after water may consider the installation of water meters in the future. 

Yes, that is the proposal, however the legislation does allow stormwater management to stay with councils, at least initially.

We fully expect that mana whenua from across the region will participate in the governance and the process around decision-making of the chosen entity.

There will be rules about how councils can join or leave to make sure services stay stable. 

These changes only affect people connected (or with an available connection)to Council water services. Responsibility for private services (eg via a well, rainwater tank and/or septic tank) remain with the property owner.

You can:

    Fill out the form delivered to your mailbox.
    Fill in a form at any Hastings Library or Council office.
    Visit www.myvoicemychoice.co.nz.
    Visit the pop-up shop at 223 Heretaunga Street West, Hastings (Monday to Friday, 10am–4pm, May 19 to June 6)
    Send a written submission to Hastings District Council, attention LWDW, by June 15.