Ruapehu mayor welcomes certainty over Three Waters

It's good to have certainty that the Government's Three Waters reforms are mandatory and Ruapehu District Council will now work constructively on them, mayor Don Cameron says.

Since there is no provision for consultation the council will now focus its attention on transition, and what its responsibilities will look like when it doesn't have to provide drinking water, stormwater and wastewater services.

Cameron is pleased that the Three Waters issues raised by local councils will be addressed by working groups.

Ruapehu District Council will plan ahead for life without water responsibilities, Mayor Don Cameron says. File photo / Bevan Conley

"We also welcome the establishment of the working groups to address the outstanding issues raised by councils with the proposed model specifically around the concerns about ownership, local voice and control of water assets."

The proposed working groups will also undertake work on legislation and policies to ensure entity support for council's growth aspirations and the unique requirements of rural community water schemes, he said.

Growth aspirations and community water schemes were areas of concern to Ruapehu.

As a rural council with a small rating base, Ruapehu had a lot to gain financially from the Three Waters reforms, Cameron said.

"In Ruapehu's case it was estimated that we needed to spend upwards of $600 million on Three Waters infrastructure over the next 30 to 40 years.

"Over the next 10 years we were facing our debt climbing by over $65m to address drinking water compliance standards alone."

The reforms free the council of the debt that spending would entail, and the council will have $16.4 million from the Government's "better off-not worse off" package.

That money will allow it to address other needs, such as housing, Cameron said.