The council controversially approved a new water services council-controlled organisation (WSCCO), Selwyn Water Ltd, to manage the district’s drinking water and wastewater in April.
Selwyn was the first New Zealand council to have its water services delivery plan approved by the Government in July.
The 6-5 vote in favour of the new company went against what 86% of the 423 submitters wanted, which was for the council to keep the services in-house, like it has with stormwater and land drainage.
Selwyn Times asked all 28 new council candidates whether they would have voted for a separate company or for services to remain in-house.
Only Kā Puna Springs Ward candidate Sarah Barnsley and at-large candidate Barry Mackenzie supported the council’s decision.
“In principle, a specialist CCO focused solely on water management is the right move when Selwyn faces increasing water challenges. The CCO provides sharper focus, accountability, and the ability to plan and invest long term,” Barnsley said.
Said Mackenzie: “The WSCCO also leaves open the opportunity to join with Ashburton, Waimakariri districts to create an organisation with economies of scale to deliver water done well, economically.”
Of the remaining candidates, 22 said they would have opted for the services to remain in-house.
Mayoral candidate Brad Mannering, at-large candidate Calvin Payne, and Tawera Malvern Ward candidate Sharn Nu’u said they would have held off until more information was available.
Said Mannering: “I believe we should have waited until we knew exactly what central government intended, and until the public had been given a proper chance to understand the costs, risks, and benefits of each option before committing ratepayer money.”
But Mannering, who was a late contender to the mayoralty, was one of 18 candidates who did not make a submission to the council’s three-week consultation in March.
“To be honest it was just something that was not my radar,” he said, adding that since deciding to run he has done further research into the decision.
Kā Puna Springs Ward candidate Tim Pow said he would have abstained, while fellow Kā Puna Springs Ward candidate Karim Sabet said the Government was “essentially building the plane as they were flying it”, so it would have been difficult to make a decision.
Said at-large candidate Samatha Samuel: “If I was at council at the time, I would have evaluated if Selwyn council had the expertise to meet any new regulations and had the expertise to deliver on the requirements of the new regulations and ongoing operations of water service delivery effectively. After evaluation, I would have voted accordingly,” she said.
Of the incumbents standing for re-election, Mayor Sam Broughton and Rolleston Ward councillor Sophie McInnes supported the formation of Selwyn Water, while Malvern Ward councillor Lydia Gliddon and Ellesmere Ward councillor Elizabeth Mundt voted against it.
The majority of candidates who did not support the council’s decision were hesitant to back a reversal and said it may be too costly.
Said Gliddon: “I voted against establishing the CCO, and still feel that in-house, managed well, is viable. Reversing it would require a ministerial sign-off, given Selwyn has become the poster child for Local Water Done Well. Personally, I cannot see the minister approving such a change.”
“I think there is a real appetite in the community to see a clear, side-by-side comparison of the options again, whether that is the in-house model, a WSCCO, or even other approaches. People deserve to understand what each model means for service levels and affordability.
“At the same time, we need to be realistic. Undoing the current CCO would come with significant costs, and there are legal obligations under the new central government frameworks that set boundaries on how any change could be made. So while reversal is not impossible, it would have to be carefully tested against both affordability and compliance.”
Broughton did not say whether he would support a reversal.
Council chief executive Sharon Mason said the induction for the new council will include an overview from Selwyn Water.
“If a new council wishes to revisit the decision on Selwyn Water Ltd, it would need to undertake a full review under the principles of the Local Government Act, as well as the change process set out in the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025. This would include making amendments to the Water Services Delivery Plan and consultation on the proposed change through a special consultation-type procedure.”
Mason said a reversal has not been considered or investigated.
The council has spent $1,985,183 on establishment costs for Selwyn Water to date, Mason said.
“We also made $9m available for working capital, of which $2m has been drawn down. These costs include business-as-usual expenditure, such as staffing and support functions, that have transferred from the council to Selwyn Water Ltd.”
Council has already signed off on an interim constitution for Selwyn Water, which started operating in July, and is expected to agree on a statement of expectations and the asset transfer agreement to shift the water assets and any debt from the council to Selwyn Water on September 17. If agreed to, the transfer is expected to happen on December 20.
Council head of legal and risk Julie Hands told councillors at a briefing last month staff were recommending a 12-month review of Selwyn Water.
“What I would say is that we are setting an entity up, and we want to give them some level of certainty under the conditions under which they operate, and what they are targeting and what they can build their strategy around.
“The reason we are recommending a 12-month review is it lets new councillors get their feet under the desk, understand our operations, understand how council operates, and give just enough time for that first phase of setup for the council,” Hands said.
HOW CANDIDATES WOULD HAVE VOTED ON MANAGING THE DISTRICT’S WATER SERVICES
Mayoral candidates
Sam Broughton – WSCCO (council vote)
Lydia Gliddon – In-house (council vote)
Brad Mannering – Would have waited for more information
At-large
Sharon Hunt – In-house
Barry Mackenzie – WSCCO*
Tracey Macleod – In-house*
Calvin Payne – Would have waited for more information*
Samatha Samuel – Did not say
Samuel Wilshire – In-house*
Tawera Malvern Ward
Sharn Nu’u – Would have waited for more information**
John Verry – In-house*
Kā Mānia Rolleston Ward
Avi Aulakh – In-house
Rhys Laraman – In-house
Errol Maffey – In-house
Ashwin Mani – In-house
Sophie McInnes – WSCCO (council vote)
Joe Morris – In-house*
Hayden Porrit – In-house*
Moneel Pratap – In-house
Brendan Shefford – In-house
Prabh Singh – In-house
Chris Till – In-house
Paul Weggary – In-house
Te Waihora Ellesmere Ward
Murray Lemon – In-house
Elizabeth Mundt – In-house (council vote)
Kā Puna Springs Ward
Sarah Barnsley – WSCCO
Denise Carrick – In-house*
Aaron McGlinchy – In-house*
Till Peters – In-house
Tim Pow – Would have abstained
Zoran Rakovic – In-house
Karim Sabet – Would have waited for more information
*MADE A SUBMISSION ON THE WATER DECISION
** MADE A COMMUNITY BOARD SUBMISSION
- In this week’s Selwyn Times, at-large candidate Samuel Wilshire was incorrectly marked as not making a submission to the council’s consultation on the future of water services. Wilshire did make a submission. We apologise for the error.
