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Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

Planning, reporting, and financial management - Planning - Water services strategy

232: Purpose of water services strategy

You could also call this:

"What a water company plans to do and how it will work to provide good water services to you."

Illustration for Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

The purpose of a water services strategy is for you to know what a water service provider plans to do. You can find the objectives in section 17. The strategy will outline the provider's activities and how they will achieve their goals.

A water services strategy also helps the provider be accountable for its performance. This means the provider must report to the community or its shareholders on how well it is doing. You can see how the provider plans to manage its water services and make decisions about costs and investments.

The strategy must include information about the costs of providing water services, proposed charges, and performance measures. It will also cover financial forecasting and long-term infrastructure plans. You can use this information to understand what the provider is planning and how it will affect you.

If you are a shareholder of a water organisation, the strategy gives you a chance to participate in setting the organisation's direction. You can influence the strategic direction of the organisation and help make decisions about its water services. The strategy must be consistent with the organisation's foundation documents and responsibilities.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1004665.

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231: Water services strategy for new water organisation, or

"New water organisations must create a plan to manage water services as soon as possible after they start."

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233: Effect of adopting water services strategy, or

"What happens when a water service provider makes a plan for its water services"

Part 4Planning, reporting, and financial management
Planning: Water services strategy

232Purpose of water services strategy

  1. The purpose of a water services strategy is—

  2. for the water service provider to state publicly, for the period to which the strategy relates,—
    1. the water services activities that it intends to carry out to achieve the objectives specified in section 17 and any other outcomes; and
      1. in the case of a water organisation, how the intended activities will contribute to the expectations, outcomes, or any other relevant matters set out in the water organisation’s statement of expectations; and
      2. to provide a basis for the water service provider to be accountable to the following for its performance in providing water services:
        1. in the case of a water service provider that is a territorial authority, the communities in the authority’s district:
          1. in the case of a water service provider that is a water organisation, the water organisation’s shareholders; and
          2. to present, in one document, information that relates to a water service provider’s provision of water services throughout the water service provider’s service area for the purposes of providing transparency about, and supporting decision making in relation to,—
            1. the costs of, and investment associated with, providing water services; and
              1. the water service provider’s proposed charges, levels of service, and performance measures; and
                1. financial forecasting; and
                  1. long-term infrastructure and investment plans.

                  2. Despite subsection (1)(c), a water services strategy may include different information or proposals in relation to different parts of the water service provider’s service area.

                  3. For a water organisation,—

                  4. the purpose of the water services strategy is also to provide an opportunity for the shareholders of the water organisation to—
                    1. participate in the water organisation setting its strategic intentions and performance framework; and
                      1. influence the strategic direction of the water organisation; and
                      2. a water services strategy must be consistent with—
                        1. the water organisation’s foundation documents; and
                          1. if the water organisation is an Auckland water organisation, its responsibilities for providing water supply and wastewater services under the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009; and
                            1. if the water organisation is not an Auckland water organisation, its responsibilities specified in a transfer agreement.