Christchurch City Council will tomorrow consider a staff recommendation to retain full control over its drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services, following clear support from the public.
A report going to councillors on Wednesday outlines the case for adopting an “in-house” delivery model as part of the city’s Water Services Delivery Plan. That plan must be submitted to the Government by September next year under the new Local Water Done Well (LWDW) legislation.
The reform, which replaces the former Three Waters programme, requires every council in the country to show how it will manage water services in a way that meets strengthened national standards while remaining financially sustainable.
Christchurch evaluated three possible options for delivering its water services — keeping them fully in-house, transferring them to a new council-owned water company (a Three-Waters CCO), or a hybrid model that would shift only drinking water and wastewater services to a CCO while retaining stormwater in-house.
All three were found to be technically and financially feasible, but after weighing the risks, costs, and strategic fit, council staff identified the in-house model as the preferred option. This approach keeps governance, ownership, and delivery within the Council and builds on existing infrastructure and systems.
Throughout March, residents were asked to give their views during a month-long public consultation. Of the 681 submissions received, 80 percent supported the in-house model. Fourteen percent backed the full CCO model, while just six percent preferred the hybrid option.
Brent Smith, General Manager of City Infrastructure, said the level of public engagement reflected a strong community interest in the future of local water services.
“We heard loud and clear that our residents value local control, public ownership, and cost-effectiveness,” Smith said. “The majority of submitters backed an enhanced in-house delivery model. People want to see their water services managed transparently by the Council.”
Smith said there was some support for the CCO options, particularly because of their potential to provide long-term investment certainty and a sharper operational focus, but most residents were concerned about losing accountability and community voice.
“Governance, accountability, value for money, long-term investment in infrastructure, and maintaining public ownership were subjects that came up again and again,” he said. “It’s clear our community wants a delivery model that retains local decision making but also ensures services are reliable, sustainable, and future-focused.”
If councillors accept the recommendation, the in-house model will form the structural foundation of the Council’s Water Services Delivery Plan, which must be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs by 3 September 2025.
The report says the in-house model is the most straightforward and cost-effective to implement, and avoids the disruption and expense of setting up a new legal entity. It also maintains flexibility, allowing the Council to consider other models in the future if circumstances change.
The Council’s final decision will guide how Christchurch delivers and manages its water infrastructure for years to come, under one of the most significant local government reform programmes in a generation.
