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Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024

Preliminary provisions

3: Purpose

You could also call this:

"This law helps local governments manage and deliver water services to their communities."

The purpose of this Act is to help local government manage and deliver water services. You will see this happen as local governments make plans for delivering water services. This Act also helps local governments work together and make good decisions about water services.

This Act helps local governments in several ways, including making them prepare plans for delivering water services and helping them if they struggle to make these plans. It also requires local governments to share important information about water services with the public.

The Act also sets out how local governments should work together and make decisions about water services, and it helps Watercare be financially independent from Auckland Council.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS964384.

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2: Commencement, or

"When the Law Starts: This law begins the day after it is agreed to by the government."

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4: Overview, or

"What the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024 is about and how it works."

Part 1Preliminary provisions

3Purpose

  1. The purpose of this Act is to establish a framework for local government to manage and deliver water services.

  2. This Act delivers that purpose by—

  3. requiring territorial authorities to prepare water services delivery plans; and
    1. providing for the Minister to assist or intervene if territorial authorities find it difficult to prepare a water services delivery plan; and
      1. requiring territorial authorities to publicly disclose specified foundational information in relation to delivering water services, for the purpose of supporting economic regulation; and
        1. providing specific consultation and decision-making processes for territorial authorities to use when—
          1. establishing, joining, or amending council-controlled organisations or joint local government arrangements that will deliver water services; or
            1. consulting or making decisions on a water services delivery plan, including in relation to an anticipated or proposed model or arrangement for delivering water services; and
            2. providing a financially sustainable model for Watercare to be financially separate from Auckland Council and an interim economic regulation regime for Watercare that is administered by a Crown monitor.