Public consultation opens today (24 March) on how Hamilton should provide water services in the future.

The city wants to form a joint waters company with Waikato District Council – a council-controlled organisation (CCO) –to build and manage water infrastructure. Waikato District Council also supports this option and will begin consultation next month.

Background to the proposal is outlined in public consultation material released today in print and online. More than 700 people, who have already indicated an interest, will be contacted personally and invited to make comment.

“All councils, including Hamilton City Council, are being asked to consider different ways to provide drinking water, and manage wastewater and stormwater. Councils are being strongly encouraged to join with neighbours to create scale and efficiencies so that, over time, cost increases are minimised,” the consultation document says.

The document also contains information on forming an in-house business unit with Council continuing to manage water services.

“This option is provided in order to meet a government requirement that all councils provide their communities with a second option to consider.This option is not supported by Council.”

Mayor Paula Southgate said fundamental change was the only way for Hamilton to meet the enormous challenges the city faces in building expensive water infrastructure in a timely and fairer way.

“In Hamilton we are better off than many other councils, but we face some very big challenges. We have very, very carefully considered the options and all councillors believe this is the best way forward,” Southgate said.

On Saturday 5 April, as part of consultation activities, Council is holding tours of the Waiora water treatment plant. Drop-in sessions to provide more information will be also held on Wednesday 2 April 10am-12noon at the Central library in Garden Place, and on Thursday 10 April 5pm-7pm at the Chartwell library.

More information can be found here.Feedback closes on Sunday 27 April with a decision on whether or not to form a CCO made in June this year.

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