Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

Structural arrangements for providing water services - Responsibility for providing water services - Significance and engagement policy

36: Water organisation’s policy: specific content

You could also call this:

"What a water organisation's policy must include"

Illustration for Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

When a water organisation makes its significance and engagement policy, it must cover certain things. You need to know that the policy must say how the organisation will decide if a contract is significant, and what things it will think about when making this decision. The policy must also say how the organisation will engage with people about significant contracts and joint water service provider arrangements, in a way that follows the rules set out in sections 31 and 32.

The organisation's policy must also include information needed for making decisions and consulting with people, as required by section 236(11). It must also help the organisation make its water services strategy under section 236. As the organisation figures out which water services assets are strategic over time, it must make a list of these assets and include it in its policy.

The organisation must make sure its policy follows the rules of this Act, including any specific requirements for consulting with people or engaging with them in other ways. The policy must be consistent with the Act, and the organisation must ensure this when developing its policy.

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This page was last updated on 31 August 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1444044.

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35: Water organisation’s policy: content and purpose, or

"What a water organisation's policy must include and why it's important"

37: Water organisation’s policy: preparation and amendment, or

"Water organisations must create and update their plans with the community and shareholders."

Part 2Structural arrangements for providing water services
Responsibility for providing water services: Significance and engagement policy

36Water organisation’s policy: specific content

Without limiting section 35, a water organisation must ensure that its significance and engagement policy addresses all matters that any provision of this Act requires it to address, including—
whether a proposed contract under section 22 is a significant contract and the matters the organisation will consider when determining whether a contract is a significant contract; and
whether a proposed joint water service provider arrangement under section 26 is a significant joint water service provider arrangement and the matters the organisation will consider when determining whether an arrangement is a significant joint water service provider arrangement; and
how to undertake engagement in relation to a proposed significant contract and a proposed significant joint water service provider arrangement in a way that is consistent with sections 31 and 32.

The policy must also address all matters, and contain all information, necessary for—
decisions under, and consultation required by, section 236(11); and
the organisation to make its water services strategy under section 236.

As the organisation determines over time whether specific water services assets are strategic water services assets for the purposes of section 236(11), it must develop a list of strategic water services assets and include the list in its significance and engagement policy for use under that section.
In addition, the organisation must ensure that its significance and engagement policy is consistent with this Act, including by ensuring that the policy is consistent with any specific requirements relating to consultation or other engagement.