Future water
The sustainable delivery and management of water (drinking water, wastewater and stormwater) is a key focus area for Future Proof.
The challenge
Just like the rest of the country, the future of Three Waters is a significant challenge for the Future Proof sub-region.
Throughout New Zealand, local authorities, iwi, communities and industry face significant challenges in meeting their current and future three waters service needs. Meanwhile many waterways like the Waikato River are not as healthy as we would like them to be.
In the Waikato...
Some of our wastewater treatment plants have struggled to keep up with growth and increasing environmental standards and the majority of municipal wastewater discharge consents will expire in the next 10 years.
There is increasing and competing demands for freshwater in the sub-region and in some areas the freshwater resource is fully allocated or nearing full allocation.
The demand for surface and groundwater has grown substantially in recent years. The Piako River is nearly fully allocated as a water source during summer low flow conditions. In the future we can expect more droughts which will affect our urban communities as well as our farmers.
The impact of urban stormwater and drainage systems on our waterways is also acknowledged and needs solutions that are affordable, restore the health of waterways, and protect our communities from flooding and increasing storm intensity such as Cyclone Gabrielle.
Working together is the only way
While local authorities have now confirmed how water will be managed for their communities, Future Proof is working collaboratively with the two Water Council Controlled Organisations to plan for the long-term future of water in the sub-region to ensure it is capable of meeting planned growth demands.
As well as identifying future infrastructure needs, Future Proof is also working in partnership with iwi and hapu to ensure tangata whenua values, aspirations and interests are identified and reflected and to ensure protection and enhancement of our natural environment.
Tackling the challenges in isolation is not an option – it’s unaffordable and unsustainable.
In June Local Government Minister Simeon Brown confirmed the government was looking for a joined-up approach to three waters delivery, including in the Waikato. Legislation around the issue is likely to be introduced in mid 2025.
Future Proof is well aware of the challenges that lie ahead in the three waters space and is working together to address them. Our role is not to determine the delivery model for the future of three waters but to provide the integrated planning and investment required to grow our communities safely and sustainably.
We know we our sub-region is better off if we work together to deliver critical water infrastructure and water services.
And we know we must ensure we have three waters infrastructure and the necessary water resources to support the growth of our sub-region.
By working together, we can:
achieve economies of scale
combine capital planning works and delivery
reduce demand for water
improve the health and wellbeing of our rivers and waterways.
This will require a step change in how we view and manage water and we’re onto it.
The future of water in the sub-region
From 1 July 2026, two Waters Council Controlled Organisations will be fully operational in the Future Proof sub-region. Each of these CCOs will manage the delivery of water and wastewater services for their areas.
IAWAI - Flowing Waters
Jointly owned by Hamilton City Council and Waikato District Council and working in partnership with Waikato-Tainui.
Waikato Waters Ltd
Jointly owned by Hauraki, Matamata Piako, Ōtorohanga, South Waikato, Waipā, Waitomo and Taupō District Councils
Sub-Regional Three Waters Study
Work is currently underway to review the 2012 Sub-Regional Three Waters Study. This Study sets out how we will manage water infrastructure and services over a 50 year period. While the existing Study is still sound, things have changed since it was first created. We have an increased focus on climate resilience, our iwi partnerships have matured, the regulatory landscape has changed and the wider Future Proof Study has been reviewed. It’s now the right time to review the Study and ensure we are still heading in the right direction.
Read the 2012 Sub-Regional Three Waters StudyAn Action Plan was also developed to set out how the Three Waters Study will be implemented.
Read the Action PlanOur Rivers and the Blue-Green Network
The Hamilton-Auckland Corridor Plan and Metropolitan Spatial Plan introduced the concept of a blue-green network, with the Waikato River at its heart, as a defining and unique spatial concept that aims to restore, enhance, connect and improve the natural environment.
The blue-green network includes regional and local scale landscape features, open space, rivers, gullies and their margins and areas of ecological and conservation value. These networks shape the existing sub-region and will direct and influence future urban development. The networks extend beyond the river itself to include all water bodies within the catchment.
The primary direction for the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River and its catchments, which includes the lower reaches of the Waipā River, is established through Te Ture Whaimana o te Awa o Waikato - Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River, to achieve its restoration and protection for future generations.
We must work out how the Future Proof partners can play their part in restoring the river.
Future Proof is working together to:
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Ensure urban development maximises the benefits of a blue-green network at all scales, and seeks to restore, enhance and improve the environment within the Future Proof sub-region.