This week marks an important milestone in our work to implement Government’s Local Water Done Well programme.

Councillors will consider all 234 submissions received from the community when Council consulted on how it would deliver drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services in the future.

They will hear from submitters, look at all the feedback, then decide on a way forward.

It might look straightforward, with 88% of submitters supporting Council’s proposed inhouse model (a Stand Alone Business Unit) to run three waters operations, but it is a big decision and Councillors will carefully consider the work done to this point and the thoughts of the community.

After deciding on a delivery model, Council must then prepare a Water Services Delivery Plan that must be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs by 3 September.

This is important work about essential services and I want to thank all those involved in the process - community and staff - for their input.

Two other notable pieces of work will go before Council next week - the Annual Plan and an issues and options paper on the water quality at Lake Hood.

Council opted not to consult the community over its Annual Plan 2025-26, given the forecast 7.3% rate rise is lower than set out in the Long Term Plan and levels of service are not changing dramatically.

The work programme ahead is very much focussed on core services like rubbish, roads and three waters and the plan is on track to be adopted next week, with the new rates applying from 1 July.

The Lake Hood report will be of interest to those who live at and use the lake, as well as the wider community – though it will not contain any silver bullet that will deal with the lake’s algal bloom problems now and in the future.

The report will canvas what’s been done so far to improve the water quality, what new things we are looking at and how to manage the algae long term. Lake Hood is not the only waterbody to have algal blooms and we are looking to scientific experts to support and inform how we manage it going forward.

The full report will be available to the public as part of the agenda for next week’s Council meeting.