MARLBOROUGH, 24 July 2026
Marlborough District Council has appointed the first board of Marlborough Waters Limited, the new organisation that will take over responsibility for the region’s drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services from 1 July 2027.
The board will be chaired by Warren McNabb and includes four independent directors: Kevin Lavery, Pat Dougherty, Rōpata Taylor and Murray Strong.
The appointments follow a competitive selection process and bring together experience in governance, infrastructure, finance, local government and water services.
Marlborough Waters was formally incorporated on 9 July 2026 and will spend the next year preparing to assume control of water services currently managed by Marlborough District Council.
A major change in how water services are governed
The creation of Marlborough Waters is part of the Government’s Local Water Done Well framework.
Under the new structure, responsibility for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater will move from the council’s direct operational control to a dedicated council-controlled organisation.
The company will remain entirely owned by Marlborough District Council.
Mayor Nadine Taylor said the appointment of the inaugural board was a major step in establishing the new organisation.
“This is an important step forward. We have appointed a dedicated governance team with the expertise and experience to lead an organisation that will be responsible for our water infrastructure, serving communities right across Marlborough,” she said.
“We have been working hard to get the foundations right, and appointing a strong, capable board is central to that.”
Taylor said the directors had the skills needed to oversee complex infrastructure and deliver long-term services for the region.
“These are people who understand what it takes to run complex infrastructure at scale, and who are committed to delivering for the people of Marlborough,” she said.
Council ownership will remain
The council has stressed that Marlborough’s water assets are not being sold or privatised.
Marlborough Waters will remain 100 per cent owned by Marlborough District Council.
Mayor Taylor said the community’s ownership of water infrastructure would remain unchanged.
“Marlborough Waters remains 100% owned by Marlborough District Council. This is our community’s water infrastructure, and that is not changing,” she said.
“What is new is that we now have a dedicated team of experts focused solely on delivering and improving our water services for the long term.”
The model is intended to create a separate organisation with a specialised governance structure, while keeping public ownership through the council.
Board faces major infrastructure task
Incoming Board Chair Warren McNabb said the board understood the scale of the work ahead.
“Marlborough’s water infrastructure is a significant public asset, built up over generations, and our job is to make sure it continues to serve this community well into the future,” McNabb said.
He said the council-controlled model could help spread infrastructure costs over a longer period.
“A council-controlled water services organisation has the advantage of being able to spread the cost of infrastructure over a longer period, to achieve better intergenerational equity,” he said.
“The board is committed to running Marlborough Waters with transparency and accountability.”
McNabb said the new board would work closely with the council, staff and the wider community as the organisation prepares to become fully operational.
“We are inheriting a strong establishment foundation, and we look forward to working alongside Council, staff, and the community as Marlborough Waters moves towards full operations in July 2027,” he said.
$410 million investment programme ahead
Marlborough Waters will oversee a major infrastructure programme valued at $410 million over the next 10 years.
The investment will focus on maintaining and upgrading the region’s water systems, while meeting new compliance requirements set by the Water Services Authority, Taumata Arowai.
The network serves more than 80 per cent of homes and businesses across Marlborough.
The scale of the programme means the new board will need to manage funding, long-term asset planning, regulatory compliance and public expectations.
The organisation will also need to ensure that essential water services remain reliable during the transition from council management.
Who has been appointed?
Warren McNabb, Board Chair
McNabb brings more than 20 years of governance experience across infrastructure and utilities.
He is currently Chair of Port Marlborough and has previously held governance roles including Chair of Alpine Energy and the Independent Electricity Generators Association.
The council said his commercial, financial and investment background would help the board balance financial discipline with environmental and community outcomes.
Kevin Lavery
Lavery has led major public organisations and large infrastructure programmes in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
He has served as Chief Executive of Wellington City Council, Cornwall Council and a large UK health system.
He also has direct experience with Local Water Done Well through his roles as Chair of IAWAI and Establishment Chief Executive of the Tauranga and Western Bay waters council-controlled organisation.
Pat Dougherty
Patrick Dougherty brings more than 40 years of engineering, water services and local government experience.
He has held senior roles including Chief Executive of Wellington Water, Nelson City Council and Kāpiti Coast District Council.
He has also served on the New Zealand Transport Agency Board.
His background includes water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, along with broader governance and strategic leadership.
Rōpata Taylor
Taylor has more than 25 years of governance and executive leadership experience across iwi organisations, council-controlled organisations and commercial enterprises.
He currently chairs Whakarewa Trust and serves on the boards of the New Zealand Charter Schools Authority and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua.
He is also a trustee of Te Here-ā-Nuku Trust.
The council said he brings strong expertise in strategic governance, environmental management and water infrastructure, as well as established connections across Te Tauihu iwi and the Marlborough community.
Murray Strong
Strong has served on 24 boards and chaired 19 organisations across infrastructure, utilities, government, technology and major capital projects.
He currently chairs Selwyn Water Limited, New Zealand’s first water services council-controlled organisation created under the Local Water Done Well reforms.
His experience includes organisational design, infrastructure governance and large-scale investment.
Independent governance required by law
The appointment of independent directors is required under the Local Water Done Well legislation.
The law requires board members to be selected based on professional capability and independence.
Elected councillors and council staff are not permitted to sit on the board.
This means the organisation will be governed by independent directors while remaining publicly owned by Marlborough District Council.
Transition begins ahead of July 2027 launch
The new board now has less than a year to prepare Marlborough Waters for full operations.
Its immediate work is expected to include setting up governance systems, financial structures, staffing arrangements, regulatory processes and asset management plans.
The transition will be closely watched by residents, ratepayers and businesses because water services are among the most essential functions of local government.
The council says the new structure is designed to provide stronger long-term planning, dedicated expertise and greater financial flexibility.
For Marlborough, the challenge will be making that transition without losing public trust, service reliability or accountability.
The board’s appointment is the first major test of that promise.
