Local Water Done Well

Water Reform Is Moving Fast – Can Workforce Capability Keep Up?

 Local Water Done Well is reshaping how water services will be delivered across New Zealand.

But one question is becoming increasingly important for councils and emerging water entities:

Do we have the technical capability needed for what comes next?

With Local Water Done Well now underway, councils across the country are determining how drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services will be delivered in the future.

Across the sector, communities have chosen different delivery models ­ from multi-council water organisations and single-council water CCOs to enhanced in-house delivery models.

Regardless of the model adopted, organisations must now demonstrate that they can maintain assets, fund renewals, invest in and deliver infrastructure upgrades, meet regulatory standards, service debt obligations, and respond to future growth pressures.

In practice, that is likely to drive increased demand for technical capability across:

• operations and maintenance
• engineering
• asset management, planning and infrastructure strategy
• regulatory and compliance
• capital delivery and project management
• We expect to see continued growth in technical recruitment activity across the sector, with councils, water entities and consultancies increasingly competing for the same scarce skills.

Historically, periods of heightened demand for specialist infrastructure capability in New Zealand have also resulted in increased recruitment from overseas talent markets. For newly established organisations, achieving Immigration New Zealand employer accreditation may quickly shift from a “nice to have” to a strategic priority.

As Local Water Done Well moves from policy into implementation, workforce capability may become one of the sector’s defining challenges over the next decade. Organisations that secure the right technical expertise early may hold a significant advantage as implementation accelerates and competition for talent intensifies.

If you’re involved in workforce planning, capability development or talent acquisition within the water sector, we’d welcome a confidential conversation to better understand the specific challenges your organisation faces and share perspective and insight from across the wider infrastructure market.

Peak Recruitment has a 15-year history of supporting councils and council-controlled organisations across New Zealand with the technical recruitment needed to keep water services operating and infrastructure programmes moving. We specialise in sourcing technical professionals who plan, operate, maintain and deliver critical water infrastructure.

How is your organisation preparing for the capability requirements of Local Water Done Well?

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