103New section 130A inserted (Obligation to maintain water services: Watercare)

1. After section 130, insert:

   130AObligation to maintain water services: Watercare

   1. Watercare must continue to provide water services in Auckland and maintain its capacity to meet its obligations under this subpart.

   2. In order to fulfil the obligations under this subpart, Watercare must—

   3. not use assets of its water services as security for any purpose:
   4. not divest its ownership or other interest in a water service:
   5. not lose control of, sell, or otherwise dispose of the significant infrastructure necessary for providing water services in Auckland, unless, in doing so, it retains its capacity to meet its obligations:
   6. not, in relation to a property to which it supplies water,—
      1. restrict the water supply unless section 193 applies; or
      2. stop the water supply unless section 25 of the Water Services Act 2021 applies.

   7. This section does not override sections 131 to 137.

   8. In this section, water services has the meaning given to water supply and wastewater services in section 4(1) of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.