Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

Structural arrangements for providing water services - Other roles of water service providers - Closure or transfer of small water services

75: Conduct of referendum

You could also call this:

"How a referendum about a small water service is organised and who can vote"

Illustration for Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

When a referendum is held about a small water service, the territorial authority in charge must run it. You can find more information about this in section 73(3)(f). The authority's electoral officer must make a special list of people who can vote.

To be eligible to vote, you must be a residential elector or a ratepayer elector. You can be a residential elector if you live in a property that gets water from the service being voted on, as explained in section 23 of the Local Electoral Act 2001. You can be a ratepayer elector if you own a property that gets water from the service being voted on, as explained in section 24 of the Local Electoral Act 2001.

The rules from the Local Electoral Act 2001 are used to run the referendum, with some changes if needed, for the purposes of section 73(3)(f).

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1448424.

Topics:
Government and voting > ElectionsGovernment and voting > Local councilsEnvironment and resources > Food and water safety
Previous

74: Assessments, etc, required for closure or transfer of water service, or

"Checking the impact of closing or transferring a water service on people and the environment"

Next

76: Application of this subpart, or

"Which councils have to follow these water service rules?"

Part 2Structural arrangements for providing water services
Other roles of water service providers: Closure or transfer of small water services

75Conduct of referendum

  1. The territorial authority in whose district the majority of eligible voters are on the roll of electors is responsible for conducting a referendum for the purposes of section 73(3)(f).

  2. The electoral officer of the territorial authority must prepare a special roll of the eligible voters.

  3. A person is eligible to vote in a referendum if the person is qualified as—

  4. a residential elector under section 23 of the Local Electoral Act 2001 and the address in respect of which the person is registered as a parliamentary elector is a property serviced by the water service that is the subject of the referendum; or
    1. a ratepayer elector under section 24 of the Local Electoral Act 2001 and the property, for the purposes of section 24(1)(a) or (b) of that Act, is a property serviced by the water service that is the subject of the referendum.

      1. The provisions of the Local Electoral Act 2001 apply, with any necessary modifications, to the conduct of a referendum for the purposes of section 73(3)(f).

      Compare