Wairarapa water entity eyes up new HQ
Tue, 1st Sep 2026 (Today)
Waitī Waters will set up its headquarters at Masterton's departmental building.
It would also keep an office at the Oringi Business Park in Dannevirke to ensure it had a presence throughout the region.
The water entity, which would service Wairarapa and Tararua from July next year, confirmed the office locations on Monday.
"With Masterton sitting centrally in our service area, offering good access for staff and close connections with other industry and regional partners, it will be a great home base for us," Waitī Waters said.
"We expect to move into the Masterton office in April next year."
In the organisation's latest newsletter, board chair Adrienne Young-Cooper said work to establish Waitī Waters continued at pace and thanked staff from the four councils for contributing to the transition on top of their day-to-day responsibilities.
"We are building an organisation that people can trust, and that can support safe, reliable, and affordable water services for our communities over the long term."
She said a recent focus for the board had been its organisation strategy, which would help guide the investment decisions, service delivery, systems, capability, partnerships and culture needed to move from establishment into delivery.
"The strategy will help us stay focused on what matters most: clear investment and delivery priorities, robust governance, open communication, and strong relationships with councils, iwi partners, staff, regulators and communities."
Last month, the board visited the Homebush wastewater treatment plant in Masterton as part of its monthly board meeting.
"Homebush is the region's biggest wastewater treatment facility with upgrade work on the horizon, so it's important to the board that we understand this plant and its operations," Young-Cooper said.
In October, board members would continue this focus with two days of visits around the region to sites where upgrade or renewal work was expected in the early years of Waitī Waters' operations.
"These visits will help us understand local priorities, delivery timing, the particular investment needs at each site, and the practical steps we need to take to maintain and improve essential water services."
Asset management plans would be shared during public consultation next year and would help explain where investment was needed, why it mattered, and how Waitī Waters would plan and deliver work over time.
Waitī Waters' next board meeting is September 7 in Pahiatua.
