22 March 2023
Barry Godfrey
[FYI request #22158 email]
Tēnā koe Barry
Request for Information pursuant to the Local Government Official Information and
Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA)
Thank you for your correspondence of 20 March 2023, in which you have requested the
following official information from Hut City Council:
1) The total three waters asset value on the HCC balance sheet as at 30 June 2020,
2021 and 2022.
2) The depreciation charged on the total three waters asset value on the HCC balance
sheet for the years 30 June 2020, 2021 and 2022.
3) The debt on the HCC balance sheet attributable to three waters infrastructure as at 30
June 2020, 2021 and 2022.
4) The total amount spent on three waters infrastructure, split out between capex and
opex, for the years 30 June 2020, 2021 and 2022.
5) The amount of debt that wil be removed from the HCC balance sheet when its three
waters assets are transferred to Entity C.
6) The total amounts charged to ratepayers for three waters split out between fixed
charges, volumetric charges and charged via general rates, with each of these three
categories further split out between residential ratepayers and commercial/industrial
ratepayers for the years 30 June 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Our response to each of your questions follows below.
The total three waters asset value on the HCC balance sheet as at 30 June 2020, 2021
and 2022
These are available in our published Annual Reports. Please refer to our website at
www.huttcity.govt.nz/council/annual-plans-and-publications/annual-reports.
As reported to Council on 22 November 2022, the latest estimated value of assets that would
transfer over to the new water entity is $624.6M.
The depreciation charged on the total three waters asset value on the HCC balance
sheet for the years 30 June 2020, 2021 and 2022
The Annual Reports also include full details on these, specifically the activity sections for
wastewater, water supply and stormwater. Please refer to our website at
www.huttcity.govt.nz/council/annual-plans-and-publications/annual-reports.
The debt on the HCC balance sheet attributable to three waters infrastructure as at 30
June 2020, 2021 and 2022
A process is underway that will plan and agree the methodology to be applied for the financial
impacts as at 1 July 2024, being the planned transition date. This process is being directed
by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).
The methodology to be applied regarding the debt calculation is yet to be agreed with DIA,
however Council officers’ initial calculations for debt at 30 June 2022 is $59.2M. No debt
calculations are available for 30 June 2020 or 30 June 2021
The total amount spent on three waters infrastructure, split out between capex and
opex, for the years 30 June 2020, 2021 and 2022
As per our response for question 2.
The amount of debt that wil be removed from the HCC balance sheet when its three
waters assets are transferred to Entity C
Refer to our response for question 3. The amount of debt to be transferred at the transition
date wil be dependent on the methodology agreed with DIA, with a key dependency of this
being the capital investment delivery completed ahead of transition.
The total amounts charged to ratepayers for three waters split out between fixed
charges, volumetric charges and charged via general rates, with each of these three
categories further split out between residential ratepayers and commercial/industrial
ratepayers for the years 30 June 2020, 2021 and 2022
Hutt City Council’s Annual Plans and Annual Reports contain some of this information. In
summary, the key aspects of the charges are wastewater and water supply targeted fixed
rates and stormwater part of the general rates (allocated via capital value).
Hutt City Council does not use volumetric charges with the exception of water bil ing for
commercial users. The detail split by residential and commercial ratepayers is not readily
available.
In responding to your request, information is refused under section 17 of the LGOIMA:
17(d) that the information requested is publicly available
17(f) that the information requested cannot be made available without substantial collation
17(g)(i) that the information requested is not held by Hutt City Council and we have no grounds
for believing that it is held by another authority or government organisation
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this response.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that this letter, including your name, may be published on the Council’s website.
Nāku noa, nā
Susan Sales
Senior Advisor, Official Information and Privacy
Document Outline
