Part 2Water services delivery plans and foundational information disclosure requirements
Water services delivery plans: Submission of water services delivery plan
19Minister may grant extension to deadline for submitting water services delivery plan
A territorial authority or a group of 2 or more territorial authorities that is proposing to submit a joint plan (the applicant) may apply to the Minister for an extension to the deadline for submitting its water services delivery plan.
An application for an extension must—
- be in writing; and
- specify the length of the extension that the applicant is seeking; and
- include sufficient information to enable the Minister to decide whether to grant the extension; and
- be made no later than 1 month before the last date for submitting a plan under section 18(1)(a).
The Minister may grant an extension only if the Minister is satisfied that—
- an application for the extension is made in accordance with subsection (2); and
- the applicant requires the extension for 1 or more of the following reasons:
- the applicant anticipates forming or joining a joint arrangement, and requires the extension to consult its communities in relation to the plan:
- the applicant anticipates forming or joining a joint arrangement, and requires the extension to conclude the negotiations relating to forming or joining the joint arrangement:
- the applicant is late preparing its water services delivery plan as a result of having attempted, unsuccessfully, to form or join a joint arrangement:
- any other reason that the Minister considers justifies granting the extension.
- the applicant anticipates forming or joining a joint arrangement, and requires the extension to consult its communities in relation to the plan:
Subsection (3) is subject to subsection (5).
The Minister may grant an extension despite not having received an application for an extension if satisfied that exceptional circumstances justify granting the extension.
If the Minister decides to grant an extension, the Minister—
- must notify the length of the extension and the date by which the water services delivery plan must be submitted to the Secretary to,—
- if an applicant applied for the extension, the applicant; or
- if the Minister has not received an application for the extension, each territorial authority to which the extension applies; and
- if an applicant applied for the extension, the applicant; or
- may notify the length of the extension and the date by which the water services delivery plan must be submitted to the Secretary to any other territorial authority that the Minister considers relevant.
If the Minister decides not to grant an extension, the Minister must notify the applicant of that decision.
The Minister may grant an extension subject to any conditions that the Minister thinks reasonable in the circumstances.