• A 22.6% increase in water rates,
• A general rate increase by between 5% and 10.1%, depending on which of the three options they choose, • A 2.6% increase in wastewater charges, and
• Increasing the stormwater rate (which they introduced last year) from $45 to $124 a year.
The 22.6% water rate increase is in stark contrast to a statement made in the 2025-26 Annual Plan, where it said an increase of 5.7% would provide enough funding for good management as well as increasing capacity for growth. What’s changed? Mayor Couper needs to explain. Is it because of Northland Water Done Well?
From 1 July next year, the water infrastructure owned by the Far North, Whangarei and Kaipara district councils worth $1.3 billion (yes, billion!) will pass to a new council-controlled entity, called Northland Water Done Well. The three councils will be represented by a Shareholders Council to oversee a Board that will manage water services as a standalone business.
Questions need to be asked why Whangarei’s councillors agreed to be part of this new structure, and why they did so when the public were against it. When consulted on the proposal, 73% of the public submissions preferred the status quo. Only 19% were in favour of the WDC joining a regional water entity. The other 8% had no preference. Does public opinion only matter to councillors at election time?
Here’s the problem for Whangarei’s ratepayers. Figures show the Far North Council has significantly under-invested in wastewater infrastructure since 2019, only spending 40% of its works programme budget. Whangarei achieved 114% and Kaipara 129%.
Why would WDC councillors expose their ratepayers to funding the shortcomings of the Far North District Council? When the question was put to a former council member, LETTERBOX was told local councils were under a directive from central government. If true, it makes a mockery of the public consultation process our council entered into.
Local Water Done Well is the coalition government's alternative to Three Waters, which had been proposed by the previous Labour government. Three Waters would have seen water assets controlled by between 4 and 10 regional entities co-governed by iwi and local council representatives.
When announcing Local Water Done Well, Minister Chris Bishop claimed it would remove the race-based decision-making and reduce costs to consumers. It is becoming clear that, at least for Whangarei’s residents, Water Done Well will mean subsidising those who haven’t done water well.
It is also unclear what involvement iwi will have in the Northland water entity. Insiders suggest the Far North and Whangarei mayors will use their dominant positions within the new water entity to give Maori significant representation and possibly co-governance, the very thing Chris Bishop said would not happen.
Submissions to the WDC Annual Plan close on Friday, 3 April.