Source: Radio New Zealand
It aims to help the public understand how money was spent and how their local water service provider was performing. 123RF
Councils and water service entities will soon have to report how much is being spent on water supplies, what they are charging residents and how they plan to look after their infrastructure.
The Commerce Commission said new disclosure rules would be rolled out from Friday and would help the public understand how money was spent and how their local water service provider was performing.
The commission’s head of water regulation, Charlotte Reed, said providers that managed water and wastewater networks had a responsibility to manage them in ways that protect current users and future generations.
“Economic regulation gives us tools to provide independent scrutiny of providers’ performance,” she said.
Under the Government’s Local Water Done Well policy, 44 councils are handing water supply and management to separate and new water companies, and 23 are keeping services in-house.
Some councils have already signalled that https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/561054/this-is-another-insult-water-rates-to-triple-in-central-hawke-s-bay consumers will have to pay more as they upgrade ageing pipes and treatment systems.
The rules would be phased in with providers expected to get data collection systems up and running by June, the commission said.
The commission would turn the data into clear and accessible information for residents and ratepayers, with trends and performance able to be seen across different providers.
“By shining a light on what’s working well and where improvements are needed, communities will be able to have informed conversations about their water services- and providers can focus on delivering the outcomes they want,” Reed said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
