As a public utility, we are required to ensure equal access to information about our activities for all candidates seeking election or re-election. The purpose of this page is to provide access to information that may not already be publicly available but would typically be shared with incumbent elected members. By doing so, we aim to ensure that all candidates have fair and consistent access to relevant information during the election period.

If you are a candidate and would like to receive this information directly or have questions about any of this content, please contact us directly at [email protected]

General update

For your information, please see below for an update on our work to meet the requirements of the Watercare Charter and water services reform.

Local Water Done Well Reform

In May 2024, the Government announced the Local Water Done Well programme as a new approach to water services reform. The reform introduces legislative and regulatory changes intended to enhance service delivery and support long-term planning.

In April 2025, we published our 10-year Watercare Business Plan, setting out how we will deliver reliable, affordable water and wastewater services to Auckland, including key investments, funding strategies, and commitments aligned with regulatory requirements and Council expectations.

On 1 July 2025, we completed our financial separation from Auckland Council as part of the reforms and has now raised $3.4 billion in corporate debt capital. This funding will support our $13.8 billion infrastructure investment plan, which includes more than 1000 projects focused on improving water and wastewater services throughout Auckland. The investment aims to increase the resilience of water supply and decrease the frequency of wastewater overflows and contribute to environmental protection.

Watercare Charter and economic regulation

Since 1 April 2025, we have been operating under an interim economic regulation regime established by the Watercare Charter, which sets standards for service, financial stability, customer response, and performance reporting. The Charter is effective until mid-2028, preparing us for a full regulatory framework that provides for formal information disclosure, price-quality controls, and consumer protections.

Reporting requirements

As required under the Charter, we will provide detailed quarterly operating and capital expenditure reports to the Commerce Commission (Crown Monitor) and Auckland Council. These updates, covering key capital projects, will also be published on our website and will supplement our regular quarterly reports to the CCO Directions and Oversight Committee and Crown monitor.

Three plans to comply with the Charter

We must develop three plans:

• Infrastructure delivery and asset management improvement plan. Draft due to Crown Monitor on 31 August, 2025. This is a plan showing how we will make improvements to infrastructure delivery and asset management.
• Infrastructure Growth Charge (IGC) policy review and redesign. Draft due to Crown Monitor on 30 September 2025. This is a plan for how we will review and redesign the IGC process so that growth pays for growth.
• Operating cost efficiency improvement plan. Draft due to Crown Monitor by 31 December 2025. This is a plan that shows how we will provide for operating cost efficiency.

These documents will provide greater transparency, accountability, and alignment with existing direction from Auckland Council and national expectations for water service delivery. Following the submission of the draft plans, there is a 60 working day period for review by the Crown monitor. This time will enable us to fully engage with elected members and Auckland Council staff ahead of finalising these plans.

Elected member engagement

For each plan, a legislated engagement process and timeline applies:

1. We are required to submit a draft to the Crown monitor by the specified legal deadline.
2. The Crown monitor has 60 working days to provide feedback.
3. We then have an additional 60 working days to incorporate feedback and publish the final plans.

We are currently drafting the Infrastructure Delivery and Asset Management Improvement Plan. We have liaised closely with council staff to ensure it aligns with Auckland Council’s existing plans and directives.

Once the draft has been submitted to the Crown monitor and we have a copy available for discussion, we will arrange briefings for elected members at the following forums:

• CCO Oversight Committee – 9 September 2025

• Local Board Briefing – 1 September 2025

Any comments received during these briefings can be considered for inclusion in the final version during the review process with the Crown monitor. We will also continue to liaise closely with vouncil staff and receive their feedback on the draft plan.

Once the plans are finalised, each is expected to outline how the public and elected members will be involved in their implementation.

We acknowledge that among the plans, the Infrastructure Growth Charge (IGC) Policy Review and Redesign Plan will require a higher level of engagement with council staff and elected members.

This is a fast-moving process with tight timeframes, but we remain committed to ongoing conversations with elected members and are prepared to adapt our approach based on your feedback.

Should you have any queries regarding this process or the draft plans, please do not hesitate to reach out through the standard channels. We will be happy to assist you.

Ngā mihi

Mark Bourne

Chief operations officer

Watercare