NEWSLETTER August 2026
Kia ora koutou, and welcome to our August newsletter
Our big milestone this month has been the announcement of Paul Floyd as our new Chief Executive, who will start in the role on 19 October. Paul brings exceptional New Zealand and international utilities experience, in leadership as well as operational roles. We’re delighted to have him joining us. We will share more about Paul in our October newsletter. We are now in the market for our CFO and are looking forward to completing this process and welcoming this important member of our leadership team soon.
We can also now confirm our future office locations. The Waitī Waters head office will be based in the Departmental Building in Chapel Street, Masterton, and we will keep an office at the Oringi Business Park in Dannevirke to ensure we are present throughout the region.
With Masterton sitting centrally in our service area, offering good access for staff and close connections with other industry and regional partners, it will be a great home base for us. We expect to move into the Masterton office in April next year.
We’ve had a few questions about whether Waitī Waters is part of the proposed local council amalgamation. Waitī Waters is focused on delivering safe and reliable water services for South Wairarapa, Tararua, Carterton and Masterton from 1 July 2027. The council amalgamation discussion is separate and is about how councils could be organised in the future. You can find out more about this and other frequently asked questions on our website: FAQs | Waiti Waters
Message from the Chair
Message from the ChairOur work to establish Waitī Waters continues at pace and I want to acknowledge all staff from the four Councils contributing to the transition on top of your day-to-day responsibilities. We are building an organisation that people can trust, and that can support safe, reliable and affordable water services for our communities over the long term.
The Statement of Expectations provides us with a clear view of the priorities of Councils and iwi partners and is a robust basis for us as a Board and our incoming Chief Executive to build the organisation. Thank you to the Stakeholders’ Forum for the work to prepare this important foundation document.
A recent focus for the Board has been our organisation strategy, which will help guide the investment decisions, service delivery, systems, capability, partnerships and culture we need as we move from establishment into delivery. The strategy will help us stay focused on what matters most: clear investment and delivery priorities, robust governance, open communication and strong relationships with councils, iwi partners, staff, regulators and communities.
This month the Board visited the Homebush wastewater treatment plant as part of our monthly Board meeting. Homebush is the region’s biggest wastewater treatment facility with upgrade work on the horizon, so it’s important to the Board that we understand this plant and its operations. Thank you to the Masterton staff who hosted our visit.
In October, Board members will continue this focus with two days of visits around the region to sites where upgrade or renewal work is expected in the early years of Waitī Waters operations. These visits will help us understand local priorities, delivery timing, the particular investment needs at each site, and the practical steps we need to take to maintain and improve essential water services.
Our People
Meet one of our Board Directors,
Maria Robertson
Maria Robertson brings more than two decades of leadership across public infrastructure, regulatory systems, organisational transformation and digital public services to the Waitī Waters Board. Her career has included senior roles in large, complex service-delivery environments, with a focus on operations, transformation and services that support people and communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.
She is currently Chair of Digital Identity New Zealand, Chair of the Hawke’s Bay Water Trust, and an independent member of the Audit and Risk Committees of the Ministry for the Environment and the Department of Corrections.
"What motivates me about Waitī Waters is the opportunity to help build something new that will matter to our communities for generations. We have a rare chance to shape an organisation from the outset around reliable services, long-term stewardship and the needs of the people and communities we serve. Getting those foundations right now, while also being ambitious about what Waitī Waters can become, is what makes the opportunity so compelling."
A focus on asset management
Asset management is about understanding our existing water infrastructure, its condition, and where investment is needed. For Waitī Waters, this planning will support practical, transparent decisions that reflect community needs and is a key priority we are building dedicated capability for in our executive team.
It will also help councils, staff, communities and regulators understand how priorities are being set and how essential infrastructure will be managed. Work is underway in the following areas:
Asset management maturity assessment and maturity improvement plan
Development of a Strategic Asset Management Plan and Asset Management Plan
Development of an Investment Delivery Plan
These plans will be shared during public consultation next year and will help explain where investment is needed, why it matters, and how Waitī Waters will plan and deliver work over time.
FAQ's
Is a CCO the first step to privatisation?
A. No. A CCO is not the first step towards privatisation. A Council-Controlled Organisation (CCO), while being a separate legal entity, is wholly owned by Councils and is still accountable to the Council or Councils that own them. For Waitī Waters, that is the four Councils across Masterton, Carterton, Tararua and South Wairarapa.
Under the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025, water organisations and assets are not permitted to be privatised. While Waitī Waters will run independently day-to-day, the expectations for Waitī Waters are set by the four Councils and iwi partners through a Statement of Expectations. Waitī Waters’ performance will be regularly reported back to the Stakeholders’ Forum to ensure it is visible to ratepayers and publicly reported to regulators.
Upcoming Board meetings and decisions
7 September – monthly Board meeting and joint session with the Stakeholders’ Forum (Pahiatua)
5 and 6 October – Board site visits (around the region, with a focus on sites with early years capital investment requirements)
15 October – monthly Board meeting (Dannevirke)
10 November – monthly Board meeting (Masterton)
In our September Board meeting, our focus will be the LGFA accession process, Water Services Strategy and consultation planning, stormwater management approach, customer implementation, and digital transition.
