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Local Water Done Well to cost $9 billion more than previously estimated

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 12 Dec 2025, 6:28am
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Minister for Auckland Simeon Brown and Auckland City Mayor Wayne Brown at the announcement of Local Water Done Well in Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Minister for Auckland Simeon Brown and Auckland City Mayor Wayne Brown at the announcement of Local Water Done Well in Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton

Local Water Done Well to cost $9 billion more than previously estimated

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 12 Dec 2025, 6:28am

Costs to fix our water infrastructure are increasing, as we got a better picture of its current state. 

Every council has now submitted their plan under the Government's Local Water Done Well programme.

As Newstalk ZB first revealed last week, the final bill is expected to be almost 48 billion dollars - about nine billion more than first thought.

Water New Zealand Chief Executive Gillian Blythe told Andrew Dickens with all the plans submitted, we've now got a better picture of water infrastructure than we ever have before.

She says it's like when you look at your own house and realise you've got to spend some money fixing a roof or painting a window.

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