3 Waters infrastructure programme

In July 2020, the Government announced funding to provide a stimulus package to maintain and improve water networks infrastructure, and to support a three-year programme of local government water services delivery arrangements.

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) appointed Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP) to monitor the delivery of the infrastructure investment on behalf of DIA.

CIP monitored council delivery, provided quarterly reports to DIA, released public quarterly reports on progress, and recommends funding claims by local authorities to DIA. The programme was complete by December 2022.

OVERALL FUNDING 3 WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

GOVERNMENT FUNDING

$523m

CO-FUNDING

$159m

TOTAL FUNDING

$682m

The Government funded $523 million to 67 local authorities to invest in the improvement of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater such as treatment and network renewals.

38 local authorities contributed additional co-funding originally forecast at $101 million and finally totalled $159 million, taking the final overall Crown plus co-funded programme to $682 million.

The Government’s funding priorities were stated as investment in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure first, and then stormwater. Each local authority selected the three waters infrastructure investment most needed in their areas and managed the delivery of the programme to be completed initially by March 2022, subsequently deferred to June 2022 due to supply related delays.

In the fiscal year 2022 the stimulus programme resulted in a 37% year on year increase in three waters infrastructure investment across 67 councils.

ASSET TOTAL FUNDED

Drinking water

$301.4m

Waste water

$242.1m

Stormwater

$27.1m

Tech and Design Work

$111.6m

The programme was very successful with a significant amount of beneficial three waters infrastructure deployed in a relatively short period of time that will have material benefits on:

  • drinking water security and quality,
  • reducing wastewater discharges into waterways,
  • improving robustness of networks including stormwater1,
  • reducing the impacts of climate change on three water assets especially flooding and storm impacts on potable water quality and wastewater overflows,
  • improving knowledge of the condition of assets, etc.

AT PROGRAMME COMPLETION

MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE TYPES

291km

drinking water pipes 113% of projected 261km

160km

wastewater pipes 106% of projected 150km

101

WTP upgrades 90% of projected 112 upgrades

128

WWTP upgrades 112% of projected 114 upgrades

431

wastewater pump stations 187% of projected 230

The final report for the 3 waters infrastructure programme can be downloaded here:

Media releaseClick here

More information, including information and reports demonstrating the need for water reform can be found on the DIA website: – Click here

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