Waitomo District Council has been given the tick of approval for their Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) from the Secretary for Local Government.

As part of the Government’s Local Water Done Well, WSDPs are a legislative requirement for councils, requiring them to show how they are going to meet regulatory requirements, support growth and urban development, and be financially sustainable in delivery of waters services.

The process required each council to complete a WSDP by 3 September and then submit it to the Department of Internal Affairs for review before being formally approved. 

Waitomo District Mayor John Robertson says the approval of the plan is another significant milestone in Council’s journey in becoming a founding shareholder of Waikato Waters Ltd (WWL).

WWL is a joint Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) which will deliver water and wastewater services for seven councils in the Waikato region, including Waitomo.

“The WSDPs are a signal of the shift from council delivery of water and wastewater services as part of a range of things they do, to being a member of a shared entity that is entirely focused on water and wastewater service delivery as its one and only core business,” says John.

All WSDPs submitted by the shareholding councils reflect the decisions made by each council to transfer their water and wastewater assets and services to Waikato Waters Ltd – Waipā, Waitomo and South Waikato from 1 July 2026, Matamata-Piako on 1 October 2026 and Ōtorohanga and Hauraki on 1 July 2027.