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More "in-depth planning" will see councils foot near $48b bill for water infrastructure

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 12 Dec 2025, 8:25am
Photo / Jack Crossland
Photo / Jack Crossland

More "in-depth planning" will see councils foot near $48b bill for water infrastructure

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 12 Dec 2025, 8:25am

The cost of water infrastructure projects have been rising as councils learn more details about what's required. 

Every council has now submitted their plan under Local Water Done Well programme. 

As Newstalk ZB first revealed last week, the final bill is now expected to reach almost $48 billion – about $9 billion more than first thought. 

Local Government New Zealand Vice-President and Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz told Heather du Plessis Allan they've taken a more detailed look into costings over the whole ten years than they previously had. 

She says we're comparing a ten-year plan which wasn't as in depth, to the current very detailed plan. 

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