Central Government released two new legislative bills regarding Three Waters Reform prior to parliament rising for summer holiday. 

The Water Services Legislation Bill and Water Services Economic Efficiency and Consumer Protection Bill were brought to Parliament floor 13th December 2022 and are in conjunction with the newly enacted Water Services Entities Bill. 

The two new bills are currently open for submissions from both individuals and councils. 

There is limited time to submit responses. Individual submissions close Sunday, 12th February, with council submissions closing shortly afterward on Friday, 17th February. 

Three Waters Reform is a Central Government led initiative to merge and standardise water services across New Zealand into four new Water Services Entities (www.dia.govt.nz/Three-Waters-Reform-Programme). 

The transfer of water services from councils to these new entities are scheduled to take place 1st July 2024. Whakatāne District’s water services will transfer to Water Services Entity B, along with 21 other councils. Whakatāne District Council is taking every opportunity to make sure our District and our communities are heard and considered in this process. Formal responses are one way to ensure this. 

Whakatāne District Council, as part of the Entity B Local Transition Unit (a collaborative group consisting of members from all 22 local councils that will make up the new Water Services Entity B), has enlisted the aid of a legal firm specialising in public policy analysis. This firm will assist Whakatāne District Council and the other 21 councils in the Entity B Local Transition Unit to conduct a thorough review of these bills. This will allow Council to submit an accurate and impactful response within the limited submission window provided by Government. 

Whakatāne District Council urges community members wanting to have their say on Three Waters Reform to submit directly to Central Government through its submission portals. 

To make individual submissions follow the submission prompts on New Zealand Parliament’s webpages for the Water Services Legislation Bill (www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/53SCFE_SCF_BILL_130199/water-services-legislation-bill) and the Water Services Economic Efficiency and Consumer Protection Bill (www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/53SCFE_SCF_BILL_130196/water-services-economic-efficiency-and-consumer-protection).