NEWSLETTER September 2026
Kia ora koutou, and welcome to our September newsletter
September has brought strong progress and important forward planning for Waitī Waters as we move closer to our 1 July start date. Since the Statement of Expectations was released last month, our focus has shifted to the practical next steps that will shape how we deliver reliable, affordable water services for Carterton, Masterton, South Wairarapa and Tararua.
Water Services Strategy
One of those next steps is the Water Services Strategy, which is now in development. It will set out our 10-year delivery plan and explain how we will manage water services, including the investment, operational capacity and infrastructure needed to support our communities.
We expect to share the strategy early next year and will provide more information in the coming months about the process and how you can have your say. At the same time, you’ll also be able to provide feedback on our Customer Charter and payment policies, which set out what customers can expect from Waitī Waters.
Our people
Our senior leadership team is taking shape as we near the end of our recruitment process for our General Manager - Financial and Commercial. We expect to share more with you about this appointment in the coming weeks. We have also gone to market for four other executive leadership roles: General Manager - Infrastructure, General Manager - Service Delivery, General Manager - Customer, People and Safety, and General Manager - Strategy, Regulatory and Governance. These positions will each play an important role for Waitī Waters as we establish the systems, planning and capability needed to support affordable and resilient water services.
We have made employment offers to Council water services staff who will transfer to Waitī Waters. Providing certainty for Council staff through this change and ensuring continuity of water services delivery for the community are critical priorities for the transition. Moving ahead with employment offers to staff is a major milestone that ensures both these objectives are met.
Message from the Chair
As we move closer to establishment, our focus is shifting from planning the transition to making sure Waitī Waters is ready to operate from day one. That means putting the right people, systems, agreements and ways of working in place so communities can continue to receive safe, reliable water services without disruption.
As we move closer to establishment, our focus is shifting from planning the transition to making sure Waitī Waters is ready to operate from day one. That means putting the right people, systems, agreements and ways of working in place so communities can continue to receive safe, reliable water services without disruption.
Last week I attended a meeting of water organisation Chairs which took place at the annual Water NZ conference. We had about 15 chairs of water entities from the far south to the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand meet in person for the first time. Amongst other matters, we discussed the complexities for water entity establishment when major local government reform was being promoted by the government. We also discussed how important it was for New Zealand that we deliberately seek opportunities to collaborate as a sector on matters as wide as procurement, billing, design excellence, and industry capability and training. The chairs have asked the CEOs Forum to identify specific areas for active collaboration.
Our Waitī Waters organisation strategy is now available on our website here. Our vision – For the water, for the environment, for you – thriving together | Mō te wai, mō te taiao, mōu - kia puāwai ngātahi – reflects the meaning of our name, Waitī, and the connection between healthy water, a healthy environment and thriving communities. Our service commitment is simple and essential: Delivering safe and sustainable water services our communities can count on.
You’ll see that the detail of our strategy is closely tied to the expectations set for us by Councils and iwi partners in the Statement of Expectations. It shows how we will deliver against each of the five major priorities that have been set for us and what we will achieve in the first two years, five years, and ten years of our operation. This will be the basis of our Water Services Strategy that will be released for public feedback early next year.
Thank you to the councils, staff and partners supporting this work, and to our communities for staying engaged as we build your new water company.
— Adrienne, Board Chair, Waitī Waters
Our People
Get to know Sir Paul Collins - Waitī Waters
Board Member
Sir Paul Collins has spent much of his career helping organisations make good decisions through periods of change, growth and long-term
planning. He has served on more than 50 boards in New Zealand and overseas, with experience across finance, commercial leadership, strategy and governance.
Living in the Wairarapa, Sir Paul has a strong connection to the region and its communities. His previous role as Chair of the Wairarapa District Health Board also gave him insight into the importance of essential services that people rely on every day. In 2015, Sir Paul was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sports governance.
In 1864 my mother’s family settled in the Wairarapa and I have lived here for 24 years, so I feel a strong affinity to this region and also to Tararua where my aunty settled in the Dannevirke region in the 1950s. The opportunity to be part of Waitī Waters, especially from the outset, is a very special one. We have been entrusted with a unique opportunity to guide our company through its formative years, and my fellow directors and I want to create a legacy where the services we deliver to our communities are recognised as “best in class” from both a quality and cost perspective.
FAQ's
Will councils still have a role in water services?
From 1 July 2027, councils will no longer deliver drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services in the same way they do now. Instead, they become shareholders in Waitī Waters.
Waitī Waters will be responsible for delivering water services and managing water infrastructure across Carterton, Masterton, South Wairarapa and Tararua. As shareholders, councils will still have an important say in the direction of Waitī Waters. They set expectations for our organisation through the Statement of Expectations, which helps guide what Waitī Waters needs to deliver for the communities we serve.
Upcoming Board meetings and decisions
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)
7 December – monthly Board meeting (Carterton)
When this page is viewed in te reo Māori, the content is translated using a general translation service. It does not reflect the regional dialects (mita). Or the specific vocabulary and nuances of individual iwi and hapū. Automated translation may also contain errors or miss cultural context.