Southern Waters’ shareholding councils have welcomed the Waitaki District Council’s decision yesterday to rejoin the partnership.

In a joint statement, Southern Waters mayors – Central Otago District Mayor Tamah Alley, Clutha District Council Jock Martin and Gore District Mayor Ben Bell – said the inclusion of Waitaki would strengthen the water services entity. Southern Waters would become the fourth-largest water services company in the South Island.

Mayor Martin said Southern Waters had always been open to working with like-minded councils to deliver positive outcomes for their communities.

“This isn’t about leveraging for advantage. It’s about building a model that is financially sustainable, protects public health and the environment, and gives our communities confidence in how their water services are delivered,” he said.

While Waitaki's decision is an important step, any expansion of Southern Waters requires approval from all three current shareholding councils.

Those decisions are scheduled for meetings on:

• 17 March – Gore District Council
• 25 March – Central Otago District Council
• 1 April – Clutha District Council

At those meetings, the councils will also consider foundational documents for Southern Waters, including the Shareholders’ Agreement and Constitution.

The mayors also acknowledged that other councils were working through their own processes.

“We respect that Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils must make decisions they believe are in the best interests of their communities. These are significant, long-term choices, and each council must weigh its options carefully.”

If all three Southern Waters councils resolve to accept Waitaki’s re-entry, further work would be undertaken to finalise documentation and transition planning.