The Government has appointed a Crown Review Team to examine what led to the failure at Wellington’s Moa Point wastewater treatment plant and what must change to prevent a repeat.

Former Watercare chief executive and current Water Services Authority chair Raveen Jaduram will lead the panel. He is joined by lawyers Helen Atkins and Michael Weatherall, and senior infrastructure engineer Garry Macdonald.

“Wellingtonians deserve clear answers about what led to the catastrophic failure at Moa Point and the assurance that it will not happen again,” Local Government Minister Simon Watts said.

In an unusual step, the team has been appointed in parallel to both Wellington City Council and Wellington Water Ltd. While operating under two separate terms of reference, the panel will function as a single unit to avoid duplication and deliver a consolidated account of what happened and what needs to change.

The review runs until 31 August 2026, with a final report due before then. An interim report is expected before 1 July, when Wellington’s water assets, including Moa Point, are scheduled to transfer to the new council water organisation Tiaki Wai Limited. Following the final report, the Minister will take any recommendations to Cabinet.

The Minister said the Crown review would not constrain any regulatory or enforcement activity by Greater Wellington Regional Council under the Resource Management Act. He intends to release the findings publicly as soon as possible, while managing any risk to GWRC’s investigation or to any commercial or legal action.

No further detail was provided today on the specific operational issues under investigation at Moa Point or any potential enforcement timelines. The formal terms of reference are available via the New Zealand Gazette:

• Wellington City Council Terms of Reference: https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2026-go1237
• Wellington Water Terms of Reference: https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2026-go1238/