The choice follows a joint investigation by the four councils under the Government’s Local Water Done Well framework. That work examined infrastructure needs, future investment, funding and different structures for delivering water services.
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said the decision was significant and the council wanted community feedback before settling on a final model. The council says the investigation found Rotorua is in a strong position to continue delivering services internally, while also identifying potential longer-term advantages from a shared organisation.
Cost is one of the issues residents are being asked to weigh. According to the council, the multi-council option could produce an estimated rates reduction of $216 a year. However, the council is also pointing to local ownership, decision-making and Rotorua’s relationships with landowners, iwi and hapū as important considerations.
Those relationships are particularly relevant to the district’s drinking-water supply. Council information says agreements with Ngāti Rangiwewehi and Ngāti Kearoa Ngāti Tuara relating to their springs are connected to water supplying about 70 per cent of Rotorua’s urban area.
The current consultation is not Rotorua’s first decision point on water reform. In 2025, the council chose to retain water services in-house while further investigating a possible joint model. The Government subsequently accepted Rotorua’s Water Services Delivery Plan, which sets out how the district intends to provide water services over the coming decade.
