• Opportunities for Iwi/Māori in the Water Services Reform (updated 15 June 2023)
• Rural Drinking Water Programme - Te Hōtaka Wai Inu Taiwhenua
• Marae and Papakāinga Rural Water Services Technical Advisory Group
• Contact us

Water Services Reform represents a multi-generational opportunity to address long-term affordability challenges, equity of access to services, and meet quality expectations of our communities in the delivery of drinking water, stormwater and wastewater services.

As part of the Reform proposals, Cabinet has agreed to recognise and provide for Iwi/Māori rights and interests in the Reform with a specific focus on service-delivery. It is proposed that Iwi/Māori will have a greater role in the new Three Waters system, including pathways for enhanced participation by whānau and hapū as these services relate to their Treaty rights and interests. The below summarises they key opportunities for Iwi/Māori in the Reform with detailed information on these in Cabinet paper three [PDF, 2MB].

The Reform journey to date has been a long process which included engagement with local government, Iwi/Māori and industry experts during the Three Waters Review (2017-2020) and the Three Waters Reform Programme (2020-2021). Engagement included many series of workshops across the country, webinars, technical reference groups and one on one discussions.

This engagement on water services delivery reforms is expected to continue on an ongoing basis throughout the reform programme lifetime (anticipated to take until 1 July 2024). The water services entities, when live, will also be required to form relationships with mana whenua and resource this relationship. Our engagement approach intends to support and/or set in place, a foundation for this to occur in advance of the establishment of any water services entity, should the government proceed with reform.

Invitations to the officials by Iwi/Māori to engage can be delivered to: waterservicesreform@dia.govt.nz

Opportunities for Iwi/Māori in water services reform

Design Feature	Description	Opportunity for Iwi/Māori
Statutory Recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi	Rights & Interests of Iwi/Māori will be recognised and provided for in service-delivery arrangements for the new water services system	Uphold existing Treaty Settlement arrangements, including through transition and the standing-up of new entities
Statutory Recognition of Te Mana o Te Wai	Te Mana o Te Wai will be recognised and provided for in service-delivery arrangements for the new water services system	Each entity will be required to give effect to the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and Te Mana o te Wai. Mana whenua may submit a Te Mana o te Wai statement. The board of a water services entity must engage with mana whenua in relation to the preparation of a response to the Te Mana o te Wai statement. The response must include a plan that sets out how the water services entity intends to give effect to Te Mana o te Wai.
Creation of Mana Whenua Groups for each Entity	A Mana Whenua Group for each of the four entities will be established to guide strategic performance expectations alongside local government	Each Mana Whenua Group will have equal voting rights to local government and the new entities will have statutory obligations to fund and ensure Mana Whenua participation
Te Mana o Te Wai statements	Legislation will broadly describe Te Mana o Te Wai, however the emphasis is that mana whenua define what Te Mana o Te Wai means to their specific location.  Operationally, a statement can take the form of an Iwi Management Plan, Cultural Impact Statement or the like	Provides an instrument for mana whenua to prioritise their capacity and capability to participate in the new system and recognises the role of whānau and hapū in providing kaitiakitanga activities
Collective Board Competencies	The Regional Representative Group will be responsible for appointing entity board governors based on key competencies	Each entity board will be required to have collective competencies in Treaty of Waitangi, mātauranga Māori, tikanga Māori and te ao Māori
Specific Board Expertise	The Regional Representative Group will be required to appoint to the entity boards, one or more individuals with specific expertise	An individual or a number of individuals will be required to have expertise in the exercise of kaitiakitanga, tikanga & mātauranga Māori relating to delivering water services
Support for Capability and Capacity	Mana whenua will have an increasing role in both submitting and providing advice on the new entities will be guided in interpreting these statements by mana whenua	Entities will fund and support capability and capacity for mana whenua to participate

 *Note: the reform proposals also strengthen the mechanisms for individual consumers and communities (including iwi/Māori) to directly influence the entities themselves, through ongoing engagement, reporting and transparency obligations.

Rural Drinking Water Programme - Te Hōtaka Wai Inu Taiwhenua 

The Rural Drinking Water Programme - Te Hōtaka Wai Inu Taiwhenua – improves drinking water for marae, kōhanga reo, and papakāinga that are not connected to town supply. The programme focuses on kāinga that must comply with drinking water standards by November 2022 and those marae located in areas of high vulnerability.

Find out more and register your interest at Rural Drinking Water Programme.

Marae and Papakāinga Rural Water Services Technical Advisory Group

(Updated 15 June 2023)

The Marae and Papakāinga Rural Water Services Technical Advisory Group was established to inform work on the Water Services Reform Programme for both service delivery and regulation by Taumata Arowai. The Group will provide advice to the Department of Internal Affairs on how whānau, hāpu and Iwi can best access acceptable and affordable three water services, in particular water for Marae and Papakāinga on an equitable basis that takes in to account the past failings of the water system for whānau, hapū and Iwi.

The Group’s work is intended to inform the Department’s policy advice on water services reform, as well as its work in establishing water services entities and overseeing the transition of water services from local authorities to each water services entity. The Group should also inform Taumata Arowai’s approach to implement the Water Services Act and regulation of water supplies to Marae and Papakāinga.

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