Councils across New Zealand have kicked off their Long Term Plan (LTP) discussions. We take a look at what Waikato’s local authorities have planned for the next 10 years.
Given the current economic climate and cost-of-living crisis, all LTPs have a common theme: back to basics and core services.
The new Government’s reversal of Three Waters legislation meant councils had to update their long-term plans to include the huge cost of wastewater, stormwater and drinking water.
However, councils were given the option of preparing an “enhanced annual plan” this year instead of updating long-term plans, which two Waikato councils have opted for.
There are 11 councils operating in the Waikato region and Waikato Herald compiled a list with the LTP highlights for each council.
For the full draft plans visit the councils’ websites.
Hamilton City Council
Hamilton City Council proposed an average rates increase of 19.9 per cent - $11 per week - in the next financial year.
This will be followed by an average 15.5 per cent increase each financial year until 2029, then a 9 per cent increase in 2029/30 and 5 per cent rates rises each year after that until 2034.
The council said it will need to spend a big chunk on Three Waters services, with $1.05 billion allocated for wastewater, $311 million for stormwater and $535m for water supply (a total of about $1.89b).
Other items in the council’s planned operating expenditure include $1.34b for transport, $669m for venues, tourism and major events and $779m for “support services”.
Also included in the council’s proposed LTP budget is a $16.9m contribution towards a walking and cycling bridge that would “provide more ways to access the central city and connect to nearby parks, residential areas and schools”.
On social media, the council’s draft LTP drew in a massive number of comments. However, this wasn’t initially reflected in the number of “official” submissions.
A week after feedback opened the council had only received 212 responses, despite a flood of comments on social media showing great community interest.
So far, more than 1800 people have provided feedback on the draft plan.
Community consultation on the LTP will run until April 21, followed by verbal submissions to the council in May.
Meanwhile, a petition started by an individual named Shaun Clarkin has called for a zero rates increase and to “request that an independent assessment of the plan be obtained and that the plan be paused until that assessment has been concluded”.
The petition, called Stop Hamilton City Council Rate Increases, has been signed by 345 people to date.
Waipā District Council
Instead of a Long Term Plan, Waipā District Council decided to develop a 2024/25 Enhanced Annual Plan.
The LTP will be put on hold in the meantime.
In the draft budget for the 2024/25 financial year, the council proposes an average rates increase of 14.8 per cent.
The council said it will focus on projects including upgrading the Alpha Street Water Treatment Plant in Cambridge and continuing with the development of a Resource Recovery Centre, largely funded from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Levy funds.
To save costs, the council no longer funds Te Waka, Waikato’s Regional Economic Development Agency (saving $50,000) and is reducing funding to each of the two community boards from $49,600 to $20,000.
Other proposed measures to save costs include no longer providing a Community Events Fund and no longer funding the Cambridge and Te Awamutu isites.
The full plan can be found online.
Submissions close at 5pm on April 26.
Waikato District Council
Waikato District Council, like Waipā District Council, has decided to develop an Enhanced Annual Plan.
As part of this, the council proposes a general rate increase of 13.75 per cent.
The council said big investments will be required for roading infrastructure and three waters services.
It proposes spending $78.9m on upgrading, renewing and maintaining roads, footpaths and cycleways, while $65.5m will be spent on wastewater treatment and disposal, $32.8m to treat and supply water, and another $17.2m on stormwater.
The draft annual plan can be found online.
Submissions would close on April 26.
Waikato Regional Council
In its draft LTP, Waikato Regional Council focuses on six subjects: water, biodiversity and biosecurity, coastal and marine, sustainable development and infrastructure, community connections and transition to a low-emissions economy.
A big part of the budget will focus on repairing and rebuilding floodgates and pump stations.
Another proposal includes collecting a region-wide public transport rate.
Currently, Waikato Regional Council only rates for public transport services in Hamilton, Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki and Matamata-Piako. Outside these areas, the local district council rates for these services.
Now, Waikato Regional Council proposes rating for existing public transport services in Ōtorohanga, Rotorua, South Waikato, Taupō, Waikato, Waipā and Waitomo districts from 2025/26.
The council also proposes to disestablish the Regional Development Fund. This will allow previously accumulated and unallocated funds totalling $3.979m to be redirected, along with staff time.
In line with this, the council suggests to continue funding economic development agency Te Waka.
Over the past three years, the council provided Te Waka with $750,000 in funding annually. It plans to continue funding Te Waka with the same amount using the unallocated money from the Regional Development Fund.
The council proposes an increase in rates of 6 per cent in 2024/25, 8 per cent in 2025/26 and 3 per cent in 2026/27.
The full draft plan can be found online.
Submissions close at 4pm on May 2.
Matamata-Piako District Council
Matamata-Piako District Council proposes a total rate increase of 15.7 per cent for 2024/2025.
Much like the other councils, the council said it is focused on striking a balance between what is affordable and essential in these uncertain times.
The council identifies the cost of maintaining local roads as “hefty”. It therefore proposes to spread its renewals work programme over a longer period.
“Our most recent external report shows that the local roads are maintained to a good condition – so while we would be cutting back the maintenance programme, we believe we could still maintain the roads to the required standard,” the council said.
Even with the reduction in work, the budget for roading renewals will need to increase to $5.7m.
To keep costs down, the council also stopped budgeting for new walking and cycling connections, and safety improvements for walking and cycling. The only walking and cycling connection included in the draft budget is $50,000 for Matamata pedestrian improvements on Bridie Ave.
Another project the council plans to reduce funding for is the Te Aroha Spa development. As part of the 2021-2031 LTP, the council had committed $18.9m to the development.
In 2022, a dedicated project governance group put forward a concept costing $37.7m.
An investment case was forwarded to the international market but investment cannot be attracted at the level required. The council proposes exploring other options.
The draft budget includes $200,000 for scoping and planning works in 2025/26 and $5m for capital in 2026/27 to develop or refurbish the spa, or make other improvements.
Meanwhile, the council plans to carry out $1.5m worth of stormwater upgrades in the Morrinsville CBD and complete $2m worth of work at Resource Recovery Centres in Matamata and Morrinsville between 2024-2026, plus spending $5.5m in 2026- 2029 on a larger resource recovery hub.
In terms of three waters services, the council said there is a lot of uncertainty around how water services will be managed in future - but if it does remain the council’s responsibility, it anticipates it would need to install water meters. It includes $4.1m for 2027/28 and $3.4m for 2028/29 in the draft budget for this.
The full draft plan can be found online.
Submissions close at 5pm on April 21.
Hauraki District Council
Hauraki District Council proposes an average property rates increase of 7.4 per cent over the 10 years.
The council said it focuses on responding and adapting to impacts of climate change.
As part of this it is proposing to include environmental initiatives in the LTP, such as a biodiversity strategy, and to increase funding for Coastcare groups and planting initiatives.
Big investments are also needed across three waters services.
The council proposes to spend $155,000 across three years on a new bulk transfer, wastewater pump station in Ngātea and replacing pipes that supply raw water to the Paeroa and Kerepēhi water treatment plants ,which will cost $1.7m in Paeroa and $1.5m in Kerepēhi.
The council also proposes to upgrade the Paeroa wastewater treatment plant, which will cost $25m in year one and $23.7m in year two.
The full draft LTP can be found online.
Submissions are open until April 26.
Thames-Coromandel District Council
Submissions on Thames-Coromandel District Council’s draft Long Term Plan closed on April 8.
The council described its draft plan as a “just the essentials” budget, proposing a 12.9 per cent rates increase next year.
It will focus on cyclone recovery: over the next decade alone, there’s $14.6m for repairing damage on the local roading network from the 2023 storms allocated in this LTP.
It is also investing $6.8m over the next 10 years (operational spend only) into growth strategies including developing a district-wide spatial planning project for areas outside of Thames (which has already had a plan completed).
It will spend $92m on rolling out the first phase of the shoreline protection projects to buy time against coastal inundation.
Meanwhile, $60.9m will be invested in renewing wastewater infrastructure, $23.3m of it for upgrading of the Matarangi, Cooks Beach and Thames plants to cater for extra demand.
The full draft LTP can be found online.
The council will hold in person submissions from April 30 before considering feedback in May and adopting the plan in June.
South Waikato District Council
South Waikato District Council decided to split its consultations and do some now and some later.
It will hold its full Long Term Plan consultation in May and June.
The council already had consultations on its Growth Plan 2024-2054, Town Concept Plans 2024-34 and the partial revocation of Stanley Reserve.
However, the council is currently consulting on fees and charges for 2024-25 and six policies.
Fees and charges currently being consulted on include dog registration fees, solid waste disposal fees, rents for pensioner housing and Tokoroa Airfield usage fees.
One of the charges set to increase dramatically are cemetery fees. An adult interment (burial), currently costing $675, will go up to $1640 in the 2024/25 financial year. Additional charges for Saturday, Sunday and statutory holidays, currently costing $240, will increase to $1090.
Policies currently being consulted on include the Significance and Engagement Policy, which provides guidance on how and when the council should engage with its community, the Revenue and Finance Policy and the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land Policy.
The whole document with all proposed changes can be found online.
Submissions for the fees and charges 2024-25 and the six policies close on May 3.
Taupō District Council
Taupō District Council opted to delay its LTP until at least September 30.
This could have an impact on the collection of rates. Normally the first instalment of rates for the year is collected in August.
Council officers will look at what the options are for rates collection in the 2024-25 year and will bring those to a council meeting on April 30 for councillors to consider.
Waitomo District Council
Waitomo District Council outlines different rates increases depending on the property.
The council said 1696 properties will have a rates increase of between 5-8 per cent, however, most properties in Te Kūiti will have an increase of 11-13 per cent.
In terms of water services, the council proposes to install water meters and keeping the status quo with investing “as and when needed”.
It also proposes to build retention ponds and invest in stormwater modelling.
The whole draft LTP can be found online.
Submissions close on May 17.
Ōtorohanga District Council
In its LTP, Ōtorohanga District Council proposes a 9.96 per cent overall rates increase for next year.
The council said it had been told by the community to “keep to the path” it is on, with “nothing flashy or fancy”, which is why its LTP has the theme kia mau tātou ki te ara - steady as she goes.
The council said it allocated 69 per cent of its total spend to roading and three waters infrastructure, while 9 per cent of its total spend will go towards facilities and public spaces and Ōtorohanga’s public swimming pool.
Included in the LTP is funding for a Climate Response Plan to ensure assets (town, community and infrastructure) are better able to cope with extreme weather events. The council budgeted $50,000 for each of the next three years for this.
The council said it crossed some projects out of the budget, including CCTV for Ōtorohanga township and the Kāwhia wastewater treatment plant.
The full document can be found online.
Submissions can be made until May 6.
Danielle Zollickhofer is a multimedia journalist and assistant news director at the Waikato Herald. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.
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