Sign In / Register
A new council-controlled water organisation, which will be responsible for delivering drinking water and wastewater services across Northland, is expected to be operational by mid-2027.
Whangarei District Council’s general manager for waters Andrew Carvell has been seconded to lead the early implementation phase, on behalf of the three district councils – Kaipara, Whangarei and Far North – until a chief executive is appointed mid next year.
He will be responsible for arranging governance and operational team appointments for implementation, defining the council-controlled organisation’s (CCO) guiding frameworks, and preparing detailed plans to support a successful council-controlled organisation establishment.
Carvell said it was a privilege to be recognised for the role and that he was looking forward to continuing to help navigate the complexities in designing the future entity, which will be developed in three phases:
- scoping and preparation phase, running until next June
- establishment and transition phase, from June 2026 to July 2027
- the go-live and operational phase, starting in July 2027.
One of the first steps has been the recruitment for a Northland Waters Establishment Advisory Group (EAG). Applications closed last Thursday.
This group will act as an ‘interim board’ until the CCO becomes incorporated, and a board of directors is appointed next year.
The EAG will be made up of between three to six members, who will provide independent assurance and professional advice to strengthen the decision-making of the Elected Members Steering Group (EMSG) and operational teams.
They will be expected to have significant experience in governance oversight within the local government environment, as well as expertise in areas such as water industry, regulatory compliance and environmental stewardship.
“It is intended that the Establishment Advisory Group will be able to give elected members confidence that a strong foundation has been established to support the next phases of implementation across the region,” Carvell said.
Foundational documents, including a constitution, shareholders’ agreement, statement of expectations and transfer agreements are in development, as well as the organisational and operational design, including IT systems, strategies, policies and performance measures, which will be provided to elected members for consideration.
