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Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

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

239: Audit of water services strategy

You could also call this:

"Checking if a water service provider's plan is working as it should"

Illustration for Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

If you are a water service provider, you might need to ask the Auditor-General for a report on your water services strategy. The Secretary can require you to do this, or you can choose to do it yourself. You need to ask for this report at least 12 months before you have to adopt your water services strategy. The Secretary must give you enough time to do this and must ask you in writing.

If the Auditor-General gives you a report, it will say if your strategy does what it is supposed to do, as explained in section 232. The report will also look at the quality of the information and assumptions in your strategy. However, the report will not comment on whether the policies in your strategy are good or bad.

If you get a report from the Auditor-General, you must include it in your water services strategy.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1004672.

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

239Audit of water services strategy

  1. A water service provider—

  2. must request a report from the Auditor-General on the provider’s water services strategy if the Secretary requires the provider to do so; and
    1. may request a report from the Auditor-General on the provider’s water services strategy if the provider decides, on its volition, to do so.

      1. If a water service provider requests a report from the Auditor-General under subsection (1), it must do so at least 12 months before the date by which the water service provider must adopt the water services strategy.

      2. A requirement under subsection (1)(a) for a water service provider to request a report must—

      3. be made at a time that enables the water service provider to comply with subsection (2); and
        1. be made by written notice to the water service provider.

          1. A report from the Auditor-General provided under this section—

          2. must comment on—
            1. whether the strategy gives effect to the purpose of a water services strategy (see section 232); and
              1. the quality of the information and assumptions underlying the forecast information provided in the strategy; but
              2. must not comment on the merits of the policy content of the strategy.

                1. If the Auditor-General provides a report to a water service provider, the water service provider must include the report in its water services strategy.