By Tiaki Wai Board Chair Will Peet 

Tiaki Wai is being established to fix long-standing, region-wide issues caused by decades of underinvestment in water infrastructure.  

As we get closer to the start date of 1 July, when we take over the job of delivering and managing water services from Wellington Water and councils, there are a lot of questions about how Tiaki Wai will be different.  

Some things won’t change.  Water that’s safe to drink will still come out of the tap, and when you flush the toilet, the waste will still be taken away and dealt with.  

The difference will be in the way the organisation is set up – Tiaki Wai has new and different roles and responsibilities to Wellington Water.  

Ratepayers will become Tiaki Wai customers. You’ll call us to report faults or ask questions, rather than going through your council.  

You’ll also pay for water services directly rather than through council rates. You may have seen some promotion in recent weeks, building awareness for Tiaki Wai. While a lot of people are taking an interest, we know from research there are still many who haven’t yet registered what’s changing. It’s important everyone knows about these changes and understands what they need to do as a result.  

 We understand the change to a separate water bill is causing some anxiety; but it is part of setting up Tiaki Wai to be independent from council short-term funding cycles and competing priorities.  

Tiaki Wai will be able to make more sustainable, long-term investment and borrowing decisions with a singular focus on maintaining and improving water infrastructure and services. 

 Tiaki Wai is council-owned, which means that the assets we become responsible for on 1 July will remain publicly owned. It also means that we will not make any profit. Funds from your water services bills will directly support work to fix longstanding issues with our pipes, reservoirs, treatment plants, and other essential infrastructure, and help our region up for the future. Any surplus funds will be reinvested in providing sustainable, reliable water services. 

Tiaki Wai will operate within strict boundaries. We are acutely aware of the importance of every dollar and will focus on delivering value for money 

We are accountable to the community through the Partners Committee. We will be required to regularly disclose consistent, comparable information about our costs, investment, performance, and financial position to the Commerce Commission and our customers. We will report to the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai on the environmental performance of water supply and wastewater networks. Sharing this information will ensure Tiaki Wai is making prudent investment decisions, that the approach to borrowing is sustainable and that water charges reflect underlying costs. 

Tiaki Wai is taking on Wellington Water staff to ensure that essential services continue and experience and expertise isn’t lost. But Tiaki Wai is operating under new leadership from the Tiaki Wai Board and from Chief Executive Michael Brewster, who has many years of experience in leading infrastructure reforms, including water services. 

Under this new leadership, Tiaki Wai is working towards improving asset management and decision making, based on a step up in the quality, accessibility and use of asset data. 

There will still be a lot of work to do to continue building the new organisation after July, especially when it comes to setting up essential systems. Improvements to our water services and infrastructure will take time. But the current structure isn’t working. Without long-term investment and improved management, the region will face more frequent infrastructure failures, higher repair costs, greater environmental and public health risks, and reduced resilience for future generations. 

Change is needed, and it’s underway.  

A “thank you” to Tiaki Wai for sending this article to The Upper Hutt Connection.

10/06/26