De-risking Council and Water Authority Landowner Engagement under the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025
Aligning with the New Water Landscape
Discover How We Can Help Councils Navigate Change
The New Context
The Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025 introduces new and more complex access and engagement requirements for councils and water authorities. It strengthens landowner rights, requires extended notification periods, and adds new obligations for Māori land engagement. Failure to comply can expose councils to penalties up to $1.5 million and lead to significant programme delays.
The Challenge for Councils
Compliance under the LGWSA 2025 is not optional – and the process is detailed. Councils must manage notifications, consents, and internal reviews under tight statutory timeframes. Administrative workloads have increased, and engagement quality is under greater scrutiny.
How Align Helps
Align supports councils and water authorities by managing every stage of the land access and engagement process with precision, empathy, and compliance. We have supported major water infrastructure nationwide, providing advisory, land access negotiation, and consenting services under the Local Government Act, The Public Works Act, nationwide.
Our expertise in relation to water infrastructure and the new LGWSA includes:
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Identifying affected parcels, owners, and interests.
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Drafting and serving compliant LGWSA notices.
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Negotiating conditions and managing responses.
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Liaising directly with marae, hapū, and trustees.
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Facilitating internal reviews under s165 - 167.
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Helping councils establish independent, defensible review frameworks.
Commissioner Role under s165 LGWSA 2025
The Chief Executive must appoint an independent reviewer (Commissioner) to determine land-access disputes.
Align can act as an external independent reviewer for councils not directly advised by us, or assist in designing review frameworks to ensure procedural independence and compliance.
Why Work with Align
✔ Compliance secured – notices valid, timelines protected.
✔ Reduced programme risk – engagement done early and right.
✔ Transparent records – audit-ready documentation.
✔ Community alignment – goodwill maintained through clear communication.
Discover How We Can Help Councils Navigate Change
Want to learn more about our services? Click the options below.
Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025
Don’t let poor engagement trigger penalties or delays. Get ahead now.
Flood Protection Improvements
Facing the risk before it rises?
Let’s secure your land requirements now.
Road & Slip Repairs / Infrastructure Resilience
Want to get access sorted and keep the roads flowing long after the next event?
Category 3 Buy-Outs
Don’t wait for tragedy to force action.
Buy the risk of danger to life from landowners today.
Align’s Portfolio Optimisation Framework
Ready to return value to your ratepayers?
Get in Touch
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