About 2,000 submissions have been made as our local councils consider how they plan to deliver drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services in the future – over 1,000 to HDC, about 700 to NCC, over 200 to CHBDC and a dozen at WDC.

A commendable unified effort has been made to elicit ratepayer views, with online submissions, mailed ballots, streamed presentations, community meetings, advertising … the works. 

CHBDC is moving along most briskly on the issue, having heard its verbal submissions this past week and considering its final decision on 3 July.

Each of the four territorial councils have indicated their preferred uption was for for a regional entity owned by Central Hawke’s Bay, Hastings District Council, Napier City Council and Wairoa District Council.

The issues are complex and councils have studied them carefully.

As a media release from HDC (whose hearings are 8 July) put it:

“Over the coming weeks, councillors would weigh up a range of factors before reaching a final position, including:

• Community feedback
• Financial sustainability
• Governance arrangements
• Workforce capacity and access to specialist skills
• Risks to compliance with national water standards
• Opportunities to improve resilience and service levels”

The councils have seemed confident in recommending a regional entity and it will be fascinating to see how the rationale they have provided has washed with the public.

Probably what ratepayers care most about is the cost of various approaches, and the councils are united in saying the regional option is most affordable.

That said, there’s always the possibility of local parochialism rearing its head – ‘we want to own our own pipes’ and to ‘control our own destiny’.

Regardless of the outcome, all councils are required to submit a Water Services Delivery Plan to the Department of Internal Affairs by 3 September.