45 Pipitea Street
Wellington
3 September 2021
Phone 0800 25 78 87
dia.govt.nz
Adam Irish
fyi-request-16319 [email address]
Tēnā koe Adam
Your official information request, reference OIA2122-0117
Thank you for your email of 6 August 2021 to the Department of Internal Affairs, requesting the following
information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
“All documentation regarding the decision to split the South Island into having the top part not part
of entity D. The reasoning for this does not appear obvious as Wellington is far more geographically
isolated from Nelson and Blenheim than Christchurch is, due to the Cook Strait. This would incur
significantly more travel costs etc. It appears this is done more for political purposes than
efficiency.”
Three briefings to the Minister of Local Government and an email chain have been identified as in scope
of your request – please find this information enclosed. For ease of reference, a list of these documents is
provided at
Appendix A.
These documents are released to you with some information withheld under the fol owing sections of the
Act:
•
9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons;
•
9(2)(f)(iv), to protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown and
officials;
•
9(2)(g)(i), to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression
of opinions by or between or Ministers of the Crown or members of an organisation or officers;
•
Out of scope, as the documents contain information outside the scope of the request
As is required by section 9(1) of the Act, I have considered whether the grounds for withholding this
information are outweighed by other considerations which would make it desirable, in the public interest,
to make that information available. In this instance, I do not consider that to be the case.
Further information on the proposed number of water services entities and their boundaries
The Government has considered a range of factors to determine how many entities into which it
should aggregate water services delivery, and their boundaries. The key considerations have been
to establish entities that:
• have a sufficient asset and customer base to be financially sustainable, operate at an
economically efficient scale, and deliver water services at an affordable price;
• operate effectively in relation to water catchments and achieve desired environmental outcomes,
which is dependent on containing entire catchments within the boundaries of entities. This will
enable effective catchment planning and management of associated infrastructure;
• engage meaningful y with iwi/Māori to inform understanding of Treaty rights and interests.
This includes, but is not limited to understanding of rohe/takiwā boundaries and the
importance of considering a Te Ao Māori expression of kaitiakitanga through ki uta ki tai –
the passage of water from the mountains and great inland lakes, down the rivers to
hāpua/lagoons, wahapū/estuaries, and to the sea;
• understand and reflect relevant community interests, particularly where there are existing
economic or functional relationships or a shared identity between neighbouring
communities; and
• have access to a skilled local workforce.
The Government considers that the option comprising of four entities, with the configuration as
presented in
Figure 5, achieves an optimal balance of the factors described above.
Figure 5: Proposed boundary configuration for new water services entities
Entity Regions included
A
Auckland and Northland regions.
B
All districts from the Waikato,
Bay of Plenty and Taranaki
regions and the upper parts of
Manawatū-Whanganui region
(Ruapehu, Whanganui, and
Rangitikei).
C
The districts in the eastern and
lower part of the North Island
(Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay region,
lower parts of the Manawatū-
Whanganui region1, and
Wellington regions); and
The local authorities at the top of
the South Island (Tasman, Nelson
and Marlborough).
D
The districts and regions in the
rest of the South Island, including
those parts of the Marlborough
and Tasman Districts that
comprise the Ngāi Tahu takiwā.2
1 This includes Horowhenua, Manawatu, Palmerston North and Tararua.
2 Adjustments wil be made to this boundary to correspond to the Ngāi Tahu takiwā rather than conforming to local authority boundaries.
This configuration has several advantages, including that it:
•
results in broadly even populations served outside of the ‘northern entity’, enabling
each entity to realise the opportunities associated with scale;
•
combines al districts in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty into a single entity, recognising the
significant relationships that exist between these councils and leveraging work undertaken
to date towards reform;
•
aligns catchments in the central North Island, in particular from the Taupō district
through the Waikato region; and
•
recognises whakapapa linkages between the North and South Islands, including iwi
boundaries that span the two islands.
Under this configuration, the Hauraki Gulf marine area spans the boundaries of the two upper North
Island entities and will require them to collaborate with the relevant regional councils on an
integrated catchment management approach to the Hauraki Gulf.
The Government intends to continue discussions with those local authorities and iwi/Māori that are
most affected by the proposed boundaries, to inform final decisions on the boundaries of the new
entities.
You can find further information on the decision to exclude the top part of the South Island from
Entity D in
Cabinet Paper One and minute – A new system for three waters service delivery - 30 June
2021 which can be found here - www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/Three-waters-reform-
programme/$file/cabinet-paper-one-and-minute-a-new-system-for-three-waters-service-
delivery.pdf
You have the right, under section 28(3) of the Act, to seek an investigation and review of this decision
by the Office of the Ombudsman. The postal address of the Office of the Ombudsman is PO Box
10152, Wel ington. Alternatively, you can phone 0800 802 602 or email
[email address].
Ngā mihi
Danny Shaw
Acting Manager, Business and Operations Team
Three Waters Reform Programme
Appendix A: Summary of documents in scope
Document title
Document date (P)artial release or
Withholding grounds
(W)ithhold
Briefing: Three Waters Reforms – update on entity numbers and boundaries work
23 February 2021 P
9(2)(a)
Briefing: Three Waters Reform: Number and boundaries of proposed water services
31 March 2021
P
9(2)(a), 9(2)(f)(iv), Out of scope
entities
Briefing: Meeting with Ngāi Tahu to discuss three waters reform
11 May 2021
P
9(2)(g)(i), Out of scope
Email: Background information for Te Tai Ihu Councils – just FYI no action required
30 July 2021
P
9(2)(a)
Document Outline
