OPINION

The importance of genuine engagement with our customers and our communities cannot be underestimated. The next few years could see huge changes in the public sector – our healthcare system is being
centralized, the submissions have just closed on the examination of the future of local authorities and, of course, water reform is a priority on the agenda.

Those who distrust centralization often fear losing the voice of local communities. But that doesn’t have to be the case.

As Auckland’s water and wastewater service provider, Watercare has a duty to involve our customers in our decision-making.

The Watercare of yore – when we were a water wholesaler serving Auckland’s legacy councils – thought we knew what was best for our communities and would contact them when needed. Send out a newsletter letting them know what’s to come – residents informed, work done.

I’m relieved to say we’ve come a long way – from being an infrastructure-focused organization to one that puts customers at the heart of everything we do.

In my view, our only objective is to improve the lives of the communities we serve. Yes, we provide drinking water and treat sewage to keep our waterways clean, but it’s also about being a good neighbor – we need to understand the impact of our operations and infrastructure projects on people’s lives and understand what is important to them. .

Our customers have the right to understand how and why we make the decisions we make. At the end of the day, we invest billions of their money and we are beholden to them.

When we plan for infrastructure – whether to support population growth or replace aging assets – we must balance the needs of the community in which we will work with the need to protect the environment and manage costs. This can make conversations tricky, and inevitably we won’t please everyone all the time.

But by starting these conversations early and being transparent about the issues we’re facing, we can get our clients’ insights early on, avoiding potential adverse engagements, challenges, and sometimes costs and delays on any line.

It’s as simple as doing the right thing.

When I worked on Royal Air Force bases it was crucial that we had good relations with our neighbours. Sometimes we flew noisy old planes at odd hours to distant destinations – we were probably not the easiest people to get over the fence. But talking to them regularly, inviting them on behind-the-scenes tours of the base, has gone a long way to building goodwill. The result of this fundamental yet genuine human-to-human engagement has made our neighbors one of our best ambassadors.

There are of course risks: when you engage early and with the best intentions, the situation may change, hampering your ability to achieve a project or outcome in the way you originally thought possible. But if you’ve invested time in building trust, your community will listen to you, at the very least. They may not be happy with the need to pivot on the original plan, but they will understand and may be able to guide you on the best path forward.

At Watercare, we’re not always right. But we are improving – and not just on a project-by-project basis, but also with an overview.

This month, 12,000 randomly selected customers received an invitation in their mailbox or inbox to have their say on the future of water in Auckland. This is part of our work with Koi Tū, the Center for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland, on the country’s first trial of a citizens’ assembly for decision-making.

The 12,000 people invited were narrowed down to a group of 40 people to form a cross-section of our city – by age group, ethnicity, gender, property, education and place of residence. They will have the opportunity to learn about the potential options for Auckland’s next water source and the various trade-offs and challenges that come with each option. After four full-day workshops, they will give us a formal recommendation on what our next water source(s) should be.

We are not replacing traditional forms of public engagement or decision-making. But what excites me about this trial is that it will gather the opinion of people who would not normally have the opportunity to speak on a subject like this. It is something that will impact all of us, and generations to come. It deserves a little more effort to get the quieter voices heard.

• Dr. Jon Lamonte is the CEO of Watercare.