Bay of Plenty water plans: Councils eye joint-effort options for savings

Western Bay households could save up to $5000 if councils work together to deliver water services, while Tauranga households could save up to $2100.

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale and Western Bay Mayor James Denyer took to the water for a spot of rowing on Wednesday to help plug their plans for water delivery.

The pair encouraged people to have their say on each council’s plans to manage drinking, storm and wastewater in future.

It had been three years since Olympic gold medallist rower Drysdale had got behind the oars and 20 for Denyer, who rowed at university.

Local Water Done Well is the Government’s plan for managing water services after it repealed the Three Waters laws last year.

The new laws aim to improve water quality, ensure future investment in infrastructure and ensure local control of water services.

Councils could keep delivering water services in-house or set up water organisations alone or with other councils.

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale and Western Bay mayor James Denyer rowing on the Wairoa River. Photo / Tauranga City Council

Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty District Councils’ preferred option was to work together and potentially with other councils to form a multi-council water organisation.

In the Western Bay there could be savings of up to $5000 per water connection over 10 years under the multi-council model, consultation documents show.

In Tauranga savings would be $2100 per connection from 2028 to 2034 if four councils were working together. The consultation document did not specify which other councils might be involved.

If Tauranga only partnered with the Western Bay the savings would be $1900 over the same period.

Denyer said the councils needed to work together for water to be affordable in future.

“It’s not an option for us just to keep it in house on our own. This is about making reform affordable and doing the best for our people.”

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale and Western Bay Mayor James Denyer. Photo / Tauranga City Council

Drysdale said there were advantages of scale by joining with other councils.

Tauranga and Western Bay already shared services, he said.

Ōmokoroa’s wastewater was treated in Tauranga and the Waiari treatment plant, which provided water to Pāpāmoa, was in the Western Bay.

If the councils needed new water assets, they could work together to find the best and cheapest options for ratepayers, Drysdale said.

“The toilets will still flush, the water will still come out of the tap, and as a consumer you’ll notice very little difference whichever way we do waters.”

It was about how the waters were governed and modelling showed working with other councils would have financial benefits, he said.

Asked why people should get involved in the consultation, Drysdale replied: “We do have a preferred option, but we still want to hear from you.”

A key thing was the council would only work in a multi-council organisation if it was mutually beneficial to both parties, he said.

Mayor Mahé Drysdale said he and his Western Bay counterpart James Denyer could have meetings while rowing in future. Photo / Tauranga City Council

The councils still had a lot to work through and if it wasn’t beneficial Tauranga could stay as it was, Drysdale said.

“There’s still a lot of water to go under the bridge.”

Denyer said councils had to provide a water services delivery plan to the Government by September. They had to consult with the public on options as part of it, he said.

“The reality is that there are few options that work for us, but we certainly want to hear from people too.”

After their row on the Wairoa River, which marks the boundary between the two areas, Denyer said it was great to be back on the water, but it highlighted his lack of fitness.

Drysdale joked they could have meetings while rowing.

“We worked really well together, maybe we should do waters together.”

Tauranga’s consultation runs until April 28. Western Bay of Plenty’s will end on April 24.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.