Keep an eye on your mailbox for an important letter from Mayor Neil Brown about the future delivery of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services in our district.

The biggest changes in years are on their way because of the Government’s Local Water Done Well legislation and everyone in the Ashburton District is being invited to have their say on what happens here.

The mayor’s letter will arrive with a consultation document outlining how Council proposes to deliver its water services – we’ve used plain language to describe Council’s proposal, which is for an inhouse stand-alone business unit.

This model is an enhanced model of how Council already delivers three waters services, and will be ringfenced financially – meaning money collected from ratepayers for water services is kept separately from other Council work and spent only on water services work.

The information pack also describes an alternative option, a Water Services Council Controlled Organisation – which would be like ACL, but for water services.

A CCO would operate independently with its own governance and management structure, with Council as its shareholder. A board of directors would need to be appointed and set up costs would be slightly more than the enhanced inhouse model.

Urban areas will receive their letters this week, and rural areas next week, but if you don’t receive one, then call into the Council building for a paper copy or view it online at itsourplace.nz. The itsourplace.nz website also has a place for frequently asked questions and answers.

Feedback closes 27 April.