MEMORANDUM 68 31 May 2017
TO: Chair and Members
Wellington Water Committee
FROM: Kathryn Stannard
DATE: 18 May 2017
SUBJECT: Draft Three Waters Plan
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That the Committee:
(i) agrees that the draft Three Waters Plan (‘the Plan’), attached as Appendix 1, be provided to the Local Government Commission; (ii) agrees that when neighbouring councils in the wider region indicate further interest in increased collaboration, then the Plan will be revisited with them; and (iii) agrees to invite Kapiti Coast District Council and the Wairarapa District Council Mayors onto the Wellington Water Committee to revisit the Plan and drive it forward. |
Purpose
1. To discuss the draft Three Waters Plan (‘the Plan’), attached as Appendix 1, with a view to sharing it with the Local Government Commission (LGC) before 1 July 2017.
Background
2. The first Wellington Regional Water Forum was held at the end of March 2017. Forum attendees included the Minister of Local Government, representatives from the LGC, Chief Executives and Mayors of the five shareholding councils as well as those from the Kapiti Coast District Council and the Wairarapa District Councils.
3. The purpose of the forum was to discuss the LGC report called Analysis of Three Waters in the Wellington Region that was released in June 2016.
4. At the meeting the Minister of
Local Government, the Hon Anne Tolley, expressed support for shared serviced
and increasing collaboration across council boundaries where it was in the
interests of local communities. This was a great opening to a discussion that
concluded with the LGC posing a challenge to the group that it develops a plan
in response to its report by
1 July 2017.
5. Soon after the forum met, the LGC issued its proposal for a single Wairarapa District Council. The Wellington Water Committee provided a submission suggesting that if a single council was to go ahead, that it could work more collaboratively with Wellington Water.
Revised approach
6. While the Plan is provided by the Wellington Water Committee, it is also provided on behalf of councils in the wider region who have, to some extent, been less engaged in wider regional collaboration since the forum meeting in March. This could be for several reasons, notwithstanding the proposal to establish a single Wairarapa District Council. There may be a better time to reopen the conversation again with our wider regional neighbours.
7. The Plan will be revisited with our wider regional neighbours once a sense is gained that they wish to be more engaged with where the forum is heading.
Draft Three Waters Plan
8. At the moment the Plan suggests the forum meet to discuss regional collaboration opportunities across all nine councils.
9. So far there are no true collaboration projects happening across all nine councils for three waters.
10. Wellington Water Ltd has commenced work in most of these areas and could share learnings with Wairarapa and Kapiti Coast District Councils, at the right time.
11. The Plan encourages an invitation from the Wellington Water Committee to the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa District Councils to join the Wellington Water Committee, preserving the Wellington Regional Water Forum concept.
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ThreeWatersPlan |
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Author: Kathryn Stannard
Divisional Manager, Secretariat Services
Reviewed By: Tony Stallinger
Chief Executive
Approved By: David Bassett
Deputy Mayor