New establishment chair appointed for Local Water Done Well Programme
Selwyn District Council media release: 7th January 2025
The Selwyn District Council is pleased to announce Murray Strong's appointment as the Establishment Chair for the Local Water Done Well Programme to ensure alignment with government expectations.
At its meeting on 8th November 2024, the Council resolved to move forward with investigations and planning for setting up a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) for water services and to engage an establishment chair to prepare for the work required in consulting the community in February and March 2025.
This appointment marks a significant milestone in the Council's commitment to enhancing the district's water services as expected by central government's new Local Water Done Well reform.
The key elements of the reform are:
- Arrangements for a new water services delivery system with an emphasis on establishing a joint CCO to carry out water services functions.
- A new economic regulation and consumer protection regime for water services.
- Completion of a water services delivery plan by September 2025.
Murray Strong brings over two decades of governance and management experience, having held a variety of leadership roles in both private and public sectors.
His expertise in infrastructure projects like Christchurch’s Convention Centre Te Pae, the Bus Interchange, and as former director of the National Infrastructure Board and chair of the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology will be instrumental. Strong offers a strategic approach to governance and significant experience working with iwi and mana whenua.
Mayor Sam Broughton emphasised that the recruitment of Strong was a key first step.
“We currently have good water services in our district but there is room to improve and a new CCO sets us up to succeed and down the track to possibly work with other councils. We will consult our community across February and March on the decision of either a stand alone Selwyn CCO model or a new department set up in-house and we encourage everyone to provide feedback during that three week process.”
The Mayor said the community feedback will support the councillors in their decisions regarding the water services model, and the appointment of a temporary establishment chair means we put our best foot forward and signals our intent, but does not pre-empt the final decision on what that entity would look like.
“Independent experts advised us that the complexity, breadth and volume of the work associated with this project and the pace in which this needs to be accomplished requires a dedicated expert with Murray’s governance skills.”
Murray Strong said he was honoured to take on this project and looked forward to working closely with the Selwyn District Council and the community.
“This programme presents a unique opportunity to enhance the water services systems across the district and to build on the fantastic investment made by Selwyn District Council to date. This is an opportunity to continue an intergenerational approach and further aid resilience, efficiency, and responsiveness to the needs of the people of Selwyn."
The Selwyn District Council will continue to engage with the community and our partners throughout the establishment process, ensuring transparency and collaboration at every stage.