- Hon Simon Watts
Ratepayers across New Zealand will be better off under new national wastewater environmental performance standards, which will significantly cut consenting costs for councils and help reduce pressure on rates, Local Government Minister Simon Watts says.
"These changes are about saving money for communities. By streamlining the consenting process, councils and ratepayers stand up to save up to $830 million over the next 35 years. That's nearly a billion dollars that would have come from the pockets of ratepayers that is now freed up to be spent on more essential services, or not out of their pockets at all," Mr Watts says.
"At a time when rising rates are a major cost-of-living concern for households, this is a practical step the Government is taking to ease that pressure."
For the first time, councils will have a nationally consistent and practical framework for renewing wastewater consents. The standards apply to over 330 publicly owned treatment plants across the country and will immediately reduce the need for expensive, duplicated technical assessments.
"This is a major step forward. By cutting red tape and providing clarity, we're reducing consenting costs by up to 40 percent per plant, that's a potential saving of $300,000 to $600,000, and up to 60 percent for smaller plants. Those savings flow directly through to councils' bottom lines and ultimately to ratepayers," Mr Watts says.
The standards cover discharges to land and water, rules for biosolids reuse, and the monitoring and reporting of overflows and bypasses. They take a risk-based approach, ensuring stricter limits where the environment is most sensitive while enabling more cost-effective solutions in low-risk areas.
"With 60 percent of treatment plants needing new consents within the next decade and many already operating on expired consents this change removes unnecessary delays and costly over-engineering. Councils can now get on with upgrading ageing infrastructure without driving up costs to ratepayers," Mr Watts says.
"These standards aren't one-size-fits-all. They're flexible, practical and backed by technical expertise. They deliver strong environmental outcomes without unnecessary bureaucracy."
The standards were shaped through extensive engagement, including more than 150 submissions from councils, industry, iwi and hapū, and the public. The changes take effect in December 2025.
"Much of our wastewater infrastructure is 30 to 40 years old. These standards make sure consenting keeps pace with the need for upgrades, avoids wasteful spending, and reduces the risk of wastewater overflows into rivers, lakes and the sea, protecting the places Kiwis swim, gather food and enjoy," Mr Watts says.
"This is a sensible, future-focused reform that supports better environmental outcomes, greater transparency, and real, immediate cost savings for local government - and ultimately, for ratepayers."
Link to New Zealand's Wastewater Standards: https://www.taumataarowai.govt.nz/wastewater-sector/wastewater-standards
