A trial of smart water meters in Kurow has been shelved by councillors in light of bigger plans to rejoin the Southern Waters partnership. Kurow was picked for a potential smart meter trial as it was the only town across the local network which was already fully metered. Mr Hayes said feedback on the proposed trial had been useful but ‘‘what’s changed is our direction with going with Southern Waters’’. ‘‘We have come to the conclusion that the wisest use of our time and energy at the moment is to defer any decision on smart metering to Southern Waters,’’ he said. Waitaki District Mayor Mel Tavendale also cautioned councillors not to get ahead of themselves when it came to discussions, given an extraordinary general meeting was due to be held this week formalising Waitaki District Council’s re-entry into Southern Waters.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 12, 2026 17:58 UTC