Council approves transition plan for new Waikato Waters entity
Waipā District Council has approved its plan to transfer water and wastewater services to the new regional water services entity, Waikato Waters Ltd.
The transition plan sets out how Council will transfer staff, assets, contracts, and essential information to the newly formed Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) ahead of its “Day 1” start on July 1, 2026. It provides a high-level strategy and roadmap to ensure the transition is efficient, well-managed, and maintains community confidence throughout the process.
Chief executive Steph O’Sullivan said the approval at Wednesday’s Council meeting marks another key milestone in the establishment of what will be the largest joint water services CCO in New Zealand.
“This plan gives us the framework to manage change carefully and responsibly, while ensuring continuity of service for our community,” she said.
“It’s about getting the foundations right – supporting staff, safeguarding assets, and maintaining strong partnerships with mana whenua, stakeholders, and the wider community as we move into this new phase of water service delivery.”
Waikato Waters Limited has already adopted a high-level Establishment Plan and formed an Establishment Team to manage the transition at a regional level. Work is underway to develop detailed programmes across all workstreams, including objectives, deliverables, milestones, and success metrics.
Waipā’s transition team will align its work with the Waikato Waters Limited programmes and provide regular updates to Council, including progress against milestones, financial reporting, and risk management.
The cost of implementing the transition plan is $2.9 million, which has been budgeted for in Council’s 2025–34 Long Term Plan. This cost will ultimately be recovered from Waikato Waters Limited once debt is transferred from Council to the new entity.
“We know people expect water services to be reliable, safe, and well-managed. This transition plan is designed to deliver exactly that, while ensuring we protect the interests of our residents and ratepayers throughout the change,” O’Sullivan said.
