Council asset management failures see higher water costs

Responding to the news that all councils' Local Water Done Well service delivery plans have now been assessed by the Department of Internal Affairs, Taxpayers' Union spokesman James Ross said:

"Councils undervaluing the cost of water investment by roughly $4,500 per household over the next decade shows they never had a proper grasp of the assets they owned or what it would take to fix them. If you're trying to explain why water services are in such poor shape, look no further."

"This is classic public sector behaviour, and the problem isn't limited to local government. The Prime Minister claimed last month that half of all government agencies don't have asset management plans at all, which hardly sets a robust example for councils to follow."

"With most councils now setting up new water entities, this has to be a chance for a full reset. You can't manage what you don't properly measure, and ratepayers cannot afford decades more of the same poor governance."