Marlborough District
Council has appointed the inaugural board of Marlborough Waters
Limited, the new water services organisation that will take responsibility for
the region’s drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services from 1
July 2027.
Warren
McNabb has been appointed Board Chair, alongside four independent directors -
Kevin Lavery, Pat Dougherty, Rōpata Taylor and
Murray Strong - following a competitive selection process. Together they
bring extensive expertise in governance, water
services, infrastructure and finance.
Mayor Nadine Taylor said the appointments marked a
significant milestone in the establishment of Marlborough Waters.
"This is an important step forward. We have
appointed a dedicated governance team with the expertise and
experience to lead an organisation that will be responsible
for our water infrastructure, serving communities right across
Marlborough. We have been working hard to get the foundations right, and
appointing a strong, capable board is central to that. These are people who
understand what it takes to run complex infrastructure at scale, and who are
committed to delivering for the people of Marlborough.
"Marlborough Waters remains 100% owned by
Marlborough District Council - this is our community's
water infrastructure, and that is not changing. What is new is
that we now have a dedicated team of experts focused solely on delivering and
improving our water services for the long term."
Incoming Board Chair Warren McNabb said the
board was under no illusion about the scale of the task
ahead, or the opportunity it represented.
"Marlborough's water infrastructure is a significant
public asset, built up over generations, and our job is to make sure it
continues to serve this community well into the future. A
council-controlled water services organisation has the advantage of being
able to spread the cost of infrastructure over a longer
period, to achieve better intergenerational equity. The board is
committed to running Marlborough Waters with transparency and
accountability.
"We are inheriting a strong
establishment foundation, and we look forward to working alongside
Council, staff, and the community as Marlborough Waters
moves towards full operations in July 2027."
Marlborough Waters board
Warren McNabb, Board Chair
Warren brings more than 20
years' governance experience across infrastructure and utilities, alongside
deep commercial, financial and investment expertise. He currently
chairs Port Marlborough and has held numerous governance leadership
roles, including Chair of Alpine Energy and the Independent Electricity
Generators Association. With strong regional connections and an understanding
of local expectations, he is well placed to lead the board in balancing
commercial discipline with community and environmental outcomes.
Kevin Lavery
Kevin Lavery brings
extensive experience leading major public organisations and complex
infrastructure programmes. He has held Chief Executive roles at Wellington City
Council, Cornwall Council and a large UK health system, and has
direct Local Water Done Well establishment experience through his roles as
Chair of IAWAI and Establishment Chief Executive of the Tauranga and Western
Bay waters CCO. His background in local government, strategic leadership and
water reform will support Marlborough Waters as it prepares to take
responsibility for the region’s three waters services.
Pat Dougherty
Patrick Dougherty brings
more than 40 years of engineering, water service delivery and local
government leadership experience, with extensive expertise in
water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. He has held senior
executive roles including Chief Executive of Wellington Water, Nelson City
Council and Kapiti Coast District Council, and recently served on the
New Zealand Transport Agency Board. He brings significant governance experience
alongside his deep technical and strategic knowledge of the water sector.
Rōpata Taylor
Rōpata Taylor is a highly
experienced director with more than 25 years’ governance and executive
leadership experience across iwi organisations,
council-controlled organisations and commercial enterprises. He
currently serves as Chair of Whakarewa Trust, as a board member of
the NZ Charter Schools Authority and Te Rūnanga o
Ngāti Rārua, and is a trustee of Te Here-ā-Nuku Trust. Rōpata
brings significant expertise in strategic governance, environmental
management, and water infrastructure, together with strong connections
across Te Tauihu iwi and the Marlborough community.
Murray Strong
Murray Strong is an
experienced professional director and independent chair who has served on 24
boards and chaired 19 organisations across infrastructure, utilities,
government, technology and major capital projects. He currently
chairs Selwyn Water Limited, New Zealand’s first water services
council-controlled organisation established under the Local Water
Done Well reforms, bringing direct experience in the establishment and
governance of a modern water utility. Murray has
extensive expertise in infrastructure governance,
organisational design and large-scale capital investment.
Marlborough Waters Ltd –
b
ackground information
Marlborough Waters is Marlborough's new dedicated water
services organisation, established under the Government's Local Water
Done Well framework. It is 100% owned by Marlborough District Council.
Marlborough Waters will officially begin running water services on 1 July 2027.
The
board appointments are a requirement of the Government's Local Water Done Well
legislation, which requires that directors be independent and
appointed based on their professional competencies. Elected
members and Council staff cannot sit on the board.
Marlborough
Waters was formally incorporated on 9 July 2026
and will become fully operational on 1 July 2027, when it will take
over responsibility for water services currently delivered by Marlborough
District Council.
The organisation will oversee a $410 million
infrastructure investment programme over the next 10 years, much of
it driven by new Water Services
Authority - Taumata Arowai - compliance requirements,
as well as maintaining and upgrading a network that serves over
80% of Marlborough's homes and businesses.
