43567 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Local Government

43567 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Local Government: How, if at all, will the Department of Internal Affairs ensure that smaller councils with limited revenue bases are able to meet national regulatory standards for drinking water safety and wastewater treatment?

Hon Simon Watts: Local Water Done Well provides a suite of tools for councils to support financially sustainable and affordable delivery of water services. The water services delivery plan development process requires councils to demonstrate how they will meet regulatory standards, and plans are reviewed and accepted on this basis. This includes enhanced access to lower cost long-term finance from Local Government Funding Agency and regulatory changes to reduce costs. The national wastewater environmental performance standards and infrastructure design solutions will lower the costs for renewing consents and upgrading or building new wastewater infrastructure. Additionally on 4 September 2025, the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai published updated Acceptable Solutions for three common types of smaller drinking water suppliers. The updated Acceptable Solutions provides small households and private workplaces (supplying 25 or fewer people) the option of using lower cost treatment systems. By enabling the use of lower cost treatments, the intent is more people will be provided with safe drinking water.