Information and guidance for councils
A key feature of Local Water Done Well is providing flexibility for councils to determine how their water services will be delivered in the future.
This page provides information, templates and guidance for councils, to support their planning and consideration of future water services delivery arrangements under Local Water Done Well.
On this page:
- Guidance to support consideration of new water services delivery models
- Guidance and information to support financial considerations
- Planning for Local Water Done Well
- Contact us
Guidance to support consideration of new water services delivery models
Water Services Delivery Models: Guidance for local authorities
This guidance focuses on the service delivery models and arrangements that will be available to local authorities to deliver water services. It provides further detail on the range of service delivery models available to councils, including by providing for new, financially separate water organisations that councils (and consumer trusts) can own.
Find out more:
Templates and guidance for establishing new water organisations
This page provides a toolkit of templates and guidance materials to support councils that are considering the establishment of a new water organisation to delivery water services (such as a single or multi-council owned council-controlled organisation or consumer trust).
It includes summary information to support decision making and model templates for the key documentation involved.
This includes multi-council commitment agreements, shareholder agreements, constitution, transfer agreements, council/CCO interface agreements, and other standardised artefacts relating to CCO or consumer trust establishment.
The material reflects the contents of the Local Government (Water Services) Bill as introduced in December 2024.
Find out more: Templates and guidance on establishing a water CCO or consumer trust
Guidance and information to support financial considerations
Financing water services delivery through establishing new water council-controlled organisations
This guidance provides advice on financing options for councils that are considering adopting the CCO model for water services delivery.
It outlines criteria for accessing higher borrowing from LGFA and the benefits of this for financially sustainable water services delivery, and includes worked examples showing the impact of utilising the additional debt headroom made available to CCOs by LGFA.
Find out more: Financing water services delivery through establishing new water council-controlled organisations (PDF, 503KB)
Pricing and debt considerations for multi-council owned water council-controlled organisations
Councils investigating multi-council owned water CCOs will have different investment requirements, borrowing requirements, and costs of service. This drives regional differences in revenues, and charges required, across councils if revenues are set to reflect the costs of service.
This document provides guidance on these pricing and debt considerations for councils that are investigating establishing a multi-council owned water CCO. It includes hypothetical, worked examples of pricing and debt structuring options for councils.
Find out more: Pricing and debt considerations for multi-councils owned water council controlled organisations (PDF, 461KB)
Ensuring compliance with financial principles for water services providers
This guidance provides suggested approaches and considerations for ensuring compliance with the financial principles for water services providers, as set out in the Local Government (Water Services) Bill.
Find out more: Guidance: Ensuring compliance with financial principles for water services providers (PDF, 323KB)
Transforming water services into utility businesses
Under Local Water Done Well, water service providers will have to operate more like independent utility businesses, much like telecommunications or electricity utilities. They will be structured and operated differently, and they will be directly accountable to customers, regulators and shareholders (where relevant).
This document provides information and insights about ‘utility thinking’, to help inform and guide councils’ consideration of future water services delivery arrangements.
Find out more: Transforming water services into utility businesses (Castalia, October 2024) (PDF, 348KB)
Planning for Local Water Done Well
Planning for future water services delivery (2025-2028)
This document provides a high-level roadmap for councils’ planning and delivery of future water services arrangements under Local Water Done Well.
It is indicative only and has been prepared to support councils as they develop their Water Services Delivery Plans. It includes key milestones and an indication of key workstreams for councils, which may be required to achieve councils’ delivery of financially sustainable water services to their communities from 1 July 2028.
Find out more: Planning for future water services delivery (2025-2028) (PDF, 126KB)
Local Water Done Well implementation roadmap
This document provides an overview of key activities and milestones for the implementation of Local Water Done Well. It outlines the key steps in the overall Local Water Done Well programme to help councils and other stakeholders understand the timing of the programme.
Find out more: Local Water Done Well implementation roadmap (PDF, 126KB)
Contact us
For more information or if you have any questions, please contact waterservices@dia.govt.nz
