Central Otago, Clutha and Gore District councils have reaffirmed their support for the partnership and agreed to join it in principle. Photo: RNZ
Three southern councils still plan to team up to deliver water services despite an expected fourth backing out last week.
Councils have to submit water service delivery plans to the Department of Internal Affairs by early September.
Four southern councils have worked towards a jointly owned, council-controlled organisation - the Southern Water Done Well model, but last week, the Waitaki District Council voted to exit the partnership and manage its services in-house for at least two years.
It left the remaining councils trying to work out if the model - which aims to share expertise, save costs and improve service delivery by working together - would work with fewer councils onboard.
Within days of Waitaki's decision, Central Otago and Clutha district councils agreed to join in principle.
On Monday, the Gore District Council followed suit, voting to join the three-council model if the updated figures stack up.
Gore District Mayor Ben Bell said the community could not afford the estimated $500 million bill to invest in projected infrastructure over the next 30 years.
"In this instance, bigger is better in terms of economies of scale and financial sustainability," Bell said.
"By working with like-minded councils, we can provide a water services delivery model that balances regional efficiency with local accountability."
The future of water service delivery was intergenerational, he said.
Central Otago District Mayor and Southern Water Done Well chair, Tamah Alley, said that councils knew they were stronger together and could deliver better long-term outcomes for their communities.
It was a testament to the significant amount of work done to ensure councillors and communities had what they needed to make informed decisions, she said.
"There's still work to be done, though, to understand what a group of three councils looks like and get a compliant Water Services Delivery Plan submitted by the deadline," she said.
The plans need to show how council will deliver water services that meet new quality and infrastructure standards and are financially sustainable long term.
They will then be assessed with councils possibly facing intervention if they do not meet the brief.
Local Government Minister Simon Watts has made it clear to the southern councils in a letter that there would be no time extension to submit a plan.
