(1)  The principal objectives of each Regional Corporation are as follows:

(a) in its region, to promote the efficient delivery of water supply and provision of sewerage services;

(b) in its region, to encourage water conservation, demand management of water and the re-use of water on an economic and commercial basis;

(c) to be a successful business and, to this end –

(i) to operate its activities in accordance with good commercial practice; and

(ii) to maximise sustainable returns to its members.

(2)  The principal objectives of the Common Services Corporation are as follows:

(a) to assist the Regional Corporations to fulfil their principal objectives by providing, or arranging for the provision of, services to the Regional Corporations, which may include one or more of the following:

(i) payroll services;

(ii) human resources services;

(iii) information technology services;

(iv) billing services;

(v) financial and accounting services;

(vi) any other service which may be of assistance to the Regional Corporations;

(b) to be a successful business and, to this end –

(i) to operate its activities in accordance with good commercial practice; and

(ii) to maximise sustainable returns to its members;

(c) to be available to provide services to third parties, including councils, on a commercial basis.

(3)  Each of the principal objectives of a Corporation is of equal importance.

(4)  For the purpose of fulfilling the principal objective referred to in subsection (1)(c) , each Regional Corporation must obtain from the Common Services Corporation any services which –

(a) exhibit economies of scale; or

(b) support the management of business risk; or

(c) deliver consistency in the provision of water and sewerage services in all regions where this would result in a regulatory, planning or consumer benefit.

(5)  The fee that the Common Services Corporation may charge for the provision of services to a Regional Corporation under subsection (4) must be set having regard to the extent to which the Regional Corporation can recover those costs through prices for the provision of services including the extent to which the Regulator, within the meaning of the Water and Sewerage Industry Act 2008 , may permit the recovery of those costs.