Water services under new management: regional entities, iwi partnerships, and the end of local control.
Across New Zealand, new water service entities are being established under the Government’s “Local Water Done Well” framework, marking a significant shift in how water services are owned, controlled, and politically overseen.
In regions like Wellington, Waikato, and Hawke’s Bay, councils retain ownership on paper, but control shifts to independent corporatised entities with shared governance—reducing public influence and direct accountability to voters. These models also include iwi as decision-making partners, despite the government's commitment to remove co-governance from public services.
Wellington
In metropolitan Wellington, five councils—Wellington City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt City, Porirua City, and Greater Wellington Regional Council— have partnered with Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika to establish a new, council-owned water services organisation to replace Wellington Water.
Strategic documents signal an emphasis on partnership with iwi and on incorporating concepts such as te mana o te wai and Treaty principles to guide the organisation’s approach.
The new partnership model, named Tiaki Wai, includes iwi in long-term planning, governance, and operational management. It will be owned by the five councils and overseen by a Partners Committee, which provides overall governance. The committee includes one elected member from each council and one representative from each mana whenua partner. It sets expectations for how Tiaki Wai will operate, agrees on its strategic direction, and appoints the Board of Directors, which makes decisions about how water services are planned, funded, and delivered, working within the direction set by the Partners Committee.
The public consultation on the initial Water Services Strategy is open from March 25 to April 22, 2026. You can provide feedback on the Tiaki Wai website.
For more information, see:
- Metropolitan Wellington Water Services Delivery Plan
- Constitution of Tiaki Wai Limited
- Partners Agreement in relation to Tiaki Wai Limited
- Tiaki Wai - Pathway to deliver improvements
- Tiaki Wai opens the books on challenges and costs of fixing water services
Waikato
In the Waikato, Hamilton City Council and Waikato District Council are transferring their drinking water and wastewater assets to IAWAI – Flowing Waters Ltd, which is intended to manage and operate the region’s water infrastructure, including treatment plants, reservoirs, and pipes. Stormwater assets will remain council-owned but are to be managed by IAWAI under contract.
IAWAI is jointly and equally owned by Hamilton and Waikato Councils but is governed by an independent board. A key feature is the partnership with Waikato-Tainui, intended to embed a Te Ao Māori perspective in water services, including mātauranga Māori and kaitiakitanga.
The model is grounded in recognition of Waikato-Tainui rights and interests in water, Treaty of Waitangi principles, and the Waikato River settlement framework, including Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato, which seeks “to restore and protect the physical, spiritual, and ecological health of the Waikato River from the mountains to the sea”.
Governance includes a formal co-governance forum—the nine-member IAWAI Forum, comprising three representatives each from Hamilton City Council, Waikato District Council, and Waikato-Tainui—which appoints a board of directors to oversee strategy, investment, and operations.
For more information, see:
IAWAI Flowing Waters - Water Services Strategy
Hamilton City Council Governance
Hawke’s Bay
In the Hawke's Bay, Hastings District Council, the Napier City Council, and the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council are progressing a jointly owned Water Services Council-Controlled Organisation (WSCCO), expected to begin operations in 2027. Responsibility for water assets, service delivery, and investment decisions will transfer to this new entity, which will be governed by an independent board appointed on behalf of the shareholding councils.
The governance framework will include shareholder oversight arrangements and provision for iwi/hapū participation in decision-making processes, although the extent of that involvement is not yet clear.
A Shareholders’ Representative Forum will function as a coordination and advisory body to bring together the views of the three councils, with Hastings District Council voting to include an iwi representative from its area.
In the meantime, Hastings has initiated a joint forum to oversee the establishment of the new entity and the appointment of its board. Hastings three representatives are Mayor Wendy Schollum, Deputy Mayor Michael Fowler, and Mike Paku, Chair of the Heretaunga Takoto Noa Māori standing committee. *
*The Heretaunga Takoto Noa Māori Standing Committee was established by the Hastings Council to continue the development of strategic and sustainable relationships with Māori.
Further information
- Water Services Delivery Plan
- Agenda: HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETING Thursday, 2 April 2026
- Hastings District Council: Step forward for regional water services organisation
Media coverage
Hawkes Bay Today: Hastings councillors clash over mana whenua seat on new water forum
Act now!
- Contact the Prime Minister and Local Government Minister, Simon Watts, to remind them of their commitment to remove co-governance from public services.
Email: [email protected]
Prime Minister: [email protected].
- Talk to your local representatives.
- If you are a Wellington metro resident, make a submission on the initial Water Services Strategy before consultation closes on 22 April. You can provide feedback on the Tiaki Wai website.