Local Water Done Well
Central Government is continuing with the reform of the way water services are managed across the country.
The new policy and related legislation is called Local Water Done Well.
These are the key components of Local Water Done Well intended to provide central oversight of water services:
- Water services quality regulation by the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai
- Economic regulation by the Commerce Commission.
- Transitional arrangements to support the move to new system settings and requirements including the development of Water Services Delivery Plans.
Central Government’s Local Water Done Well programme has been set for New Zealand’s water services system through the following legislation:
Commerce Commission NZ - water services information disclosures
Economic information disclosures (including public disclosure) are required by regulated suppliers, to provide information about their performance.
The Commerce Commission’s NZ Water Services Information Disclosures for 2026 - Dividends Policy, Policy for Funding Growth, and information about charges and IFF levies are below:
- Commerce Commission NZ - Water Services Information Disclosure
- Commerce Commission NZ - Water Services Information Charges and IFF Levies
Nelson City Council Water Services Delivery Plan 2024-203
Nelson City Council owns, operates and maintains the majority of the three water networks within the city.
The day-to-day operation and maintenance of the drinking water, storm water and wastewater networks is carried out by various contractors. Council considers that the pre-existing approach for delivering water services has served the city well in the past, and will continue to do so into the future. And so, for the Water Services Delivery Plan, it approved the model to retain the existing approach for delivering water services.
The Nelson City Council Water Services Delivery Plan 2024-2034 was accepted by the Secretary for Local Government on 1 December 2025.
More information
For details about the water services delivery options and timeline from Council meeting, including adopting the statement of proposal, community consultation etc, to submission to the Secretary of Local Government, click the button below to go to the Shape page.
