CODC to consult public on water services delivery model
Aimee Wilson
11 May 2025, 6:00 PM
The Southern Water Done Well document is now out for public consultation, following the Long Term Plan (LTP)A jointly owned council-controlled organisation (CCO) with Gore, Waitaki and Clutha District Councils was the preferred option that Central Otago is going out to public consultation on.
Last Thursday, the CODC approved the Southern Water Done Well consultation document, along with the other three councils, and from May 9 to June 6 the public will have its say on it.
Mayor Tamah Alley told the meeting that it was a substantial document on the back of the Long Term Plan (LTP), which had an amazing response, “and ideally we’ll have the same types of people submitting on the water plan as well, but I wouldn’t hang my hat on it,” she joked.
Councillor Cheryl Laws said it was good that each council involved received the same information, “that’s pretty vital and now how we get our message to the public and avoid all of those myths that are out there that’s the next step.”
Cr Sarah Browne said the feedback she was receiving from people was that they wanted council to keep the water services delivery in house as the status quo option.
“It’s not that we don’t want to, but we can’t. People think we are giving it away by choice.”
Although council was consulting on three options - a jointly owned CCO, a stand alone CCO and an in-house business unit, Cr Martin McPherson said the consultation document was more about educating, “because we don’t have a choice - we have to do this come hell or high water.”
Mayor Alley acknowledged there were some challenges coming when people expected council to stay with the status quo, because they just didn't have the resources in house to do the work.
Group manager Three Waters Julie Muir told council that from the LTP numbers, it appeared just over 50% of people wanted the status quo, and just under 50% were keen for council to set up a separate group.
Council would be holding drop-in sessions from May 9 to June 6 and then the wider council consultation outcomes would be collated and presented back to council to inform water service delivery model decision making.
