Three directors have taken up roles with Southern Waters, a new entity which will manage $1.1 billion of council assets and be responsible for a $750 million capital works programme within the next decade.

Rob Hewett, Fraser Jonker and Michael Sage were appointed this month, Southern Waters said, in a statement. 

Southern Waters will soon be responsible for water services stretching across the Waitaki, Central Otago, Clutha and Gore districts — assets are due to be transferred in July next year. 

Southern Waters chair Bruce Gremmell said the new trio of directors had the experience a new water utility “actually needs”.

Clutha District Mayor Jock Martin, who chairs the stakeholders’ representative group, said Southern Waters had a “big responsibility”.

“A $750m capital works programme to 2034 and $1.1b of assets being transferred into its management — that isn’t a responsibility any of us is taking lightly.”

“A good board understands that their decisions have consequences.

“Governance can sound a long way from a tap in a kitchen in Tapanui or Kurow —  it isn’t.

“The decisions this board makes are what will determine whether that water is safe, whether it turns up, and what it costs.”

An operating model for Southern Waters was being developed, it said, in a statement.

Two mana whenua representatives and a rural water representative are yet to be appointed.

Who are the directors?

Mr Hewett, a Clutha District farmer, was described as “one of New Zealand’s most experienced company directors”. He chairs Farmlands Co-operative Society, AgriZeroNZ, Hilton Haulage, Woolworks, Fern Energy and Rewiring Aotearoa.

Mr Jonker, an electrical engineer by trade who lives near Alexandra, spent 15 years as group chief executive of Pioneer Energy and currently chairs MainpowerNZ. He is a director at the lines company and Buller Electricity, and on the board of Central Otago Health Services (Clyde Hospital) and Invest South.

Mr Sage, a corporate and commercial lawyer, has worked in the utilities and infrastructure sector since 1992. He is a director of Northland Waters and an independent member of Gisborne District Council’s water services committee. He was described as “passionate” about the lower South Island.