Tararua District Council has taken an important step towards creating a new regional water organisation. At its meeting on 24 September, councillors unanimously approved the Constitution and Shareholders’ Agreement for Wairarapa Tararua Water Limited, which will become the Water Services Organisation (WSO) for South Wairarapa, Carterton, Masterton and Tararua.

Mayor Tracey Collis says: This is a milestone that reflects strong teamwork across with the Tararua and Wairarapa Councils and our iwi partners. She says the benefits for people are clear: “By joining forces we’ll keep costs down, improve reliability, and unlock more funding for much-needed upgrades to our water infrastructure. This is all about securing better water services for Tararua families, now and into the future.”

The Constitution sets the legal foundations for the new company, while the Shareholders’ Agreement outlines how councils will work together as shareholders. It also establishes a Stakeholders Forum, giving both councils and iwi representatives a voice.

This follows the joint Water Services Delivery Plan submitted to Government in August. Once approved, the WSO will be legally established by 1 July 2026 and take over day-to-day water services from 1 July 2027. Each council will be a shareholder in the company, while operations will be managed regionally.

Mayor Tracey adds: “We also acknowledge the support of the Minister of Local Government and the Department of Internal Affairs in guiding and assessing this process and look forward to continuing to work closely with them as the new organisation takes shape.”