Local Water Done Well – November Update
The decision by Hurunui and Kaikōura District Councils to create a Water Services Council Controlled Organisation (WSCCO), will help make delivery of your water, stormwater and wastewater, more efficient and provision of those services, more resilient in the years to come.
By working together, Hurunui and Kaikōura will help achieve results that one council working on its own might not be able to achieve.
Joint-council oversight of the process for establishing this new organisation is vital too. A Local Water Done Well Reference Group is being set-up to achieve this, and comprises the Chief Executive Officers of both Councils, as well as Mayor Marie Black and Councillor Vince Daly from Hurunui District Council and Councillors Vicki Gulleford and Mark Redwood from Kaikōura District Council.
The new Council Controlled Organisation will also require skilled, independent directors, whose sole focus will be on water services. Five directors will be sought for these positions. Three appointed jointly, and one appointed by each of the two Councils, bringing the total to five. This will help ensure professional governance for this important community infrastructure. The core skills required of those directors include previous governance experience, financial literacy and strategic focus.
Between the appointed directors, it will also be necessary for them to display; expertise in infrastructure management, finance, risk management, stakeholder engagement and legal/regulatory experience. Ideally, Directors would bring other skills such as cultural competency, oversight of technology and human resources, and an understanding of community and rural needs. This combination of skills amongst the appointed Directors will benefit the WSSCO immensely.
A formal recruitment process for these positions will start before Christmas. More information on how to apply will be available soon.
We’re excited about the pace with which the WSSCO is developing and look forward to bringing you more monthly updates as the July 1, 2026 transition approaches.
