Ōpōtiki Rates To Increase By 9.5 Percent
While this is less than the 10.5 percent projected in last year's long-term plan, the council says residents can expect to see lower levels of service in some areas due to tightening of budgets.
The council approved an information document on its draft Annual Plan 2025-2026 for public release at a meeting on Tuesday.
A report to council said community feedback on the long-term plan had been in support of reduced services and deferring costs.
The council had tightened budgets to engineering, parks and reserves, events, and regional development even further to reduce the rates rise by 1 percentage point.
Mayor David Moore warned that residents may see the impact of lower levels of services across these areas.
The document showed the expected movement in rates for a variety of properties.
For a medium-priced home in the Ōpōtiki township, rates are expected to increase by $320 annually, representing an 11 percent change.
Rates for a medium-priced Hukutaia-Woodlands home connected to water supply and receiving kerbside rubbish collection would increase by $311, or 10 percent.
Rural properties not receiving services paid for by a targeted rate such as water supply or wastewater would see a 7 percent rise. These included rates for a medium valued residential property of $390,000 increasing by $113, a $6.2 million kiwifruit orchard increasing by $1183 and other rural properties valued at $1.4 million increasing by $299.
An Ōhiwa property connected to water supply would increase by 2 percent or $48 for a $470,000 valued property, 3 percent or $127 for a $900,000 property and 4 percent or $219 for a $1.4 million property.
A Te Kaha property connected to the water supply will see little change in rates, with lower value properties of $300,000 dropping by $20 and properties worth $800,000 increasing by just $72.
Most commercial and industrial properties' rates will increase by 6 percent except those valued at $3.5 million or more which will decrease by at least 7 percent.
The document also outlines work planned for the town's big cost items such as wastewater, stormwater, water supply, roads and solid waste to keep them safe, resilience and fit for purpose. It also outlines over $1 million in capital expenditure on parks and reserves, including new toilets near the eastern sea wall and upgrades to existing toilets, new floodlights and other upgrades for Memorial Park sportsgrounds and extending the Waiotahe cycleway to connect with the Bryan's Beach and Ohiwa Harbour cyclepaths.
Because there are not any major changes to what the council already consulted on in its long-term plan, it is not required to undertake a formal consultation. However, the community is encouraged to let the council know what it thinks about the plan before it must be adopted by June 30. Feedback can be given online through connect.odc.govt.nz by email, post or drop off.
Information sessions will be advertised through social media and the Antenno app.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
More Express Options To The City For Rolleston Commuters
Press Release – Environment Canterbury From 1 September, Metro and Bentley Coachlines services will begin a six-month trial operating direct buses along two new routes, 84 Rolleston Direct West and 85 Rolleston Direct East. Selwyn-based commuters will benefit from more direct buses to and from Christchurch, with the launch of a new collaboration between Metro and Bentley Coachlines. In June, Bentley Coachlines approached Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) for approval to run privately operated commuter services from Rolleston to the city. Staff have worked with Bentley Coachlines on options to accommodate this so it can complement existing Metro services for the community. The outcome of this is a coordinated timetable between Metro and Bentley services, offering more services for the Rolleston community with improved frequency. From 1 September, Metro and Bentley Coachlines services will begin a six-month trial operating direct buses along two new routes, 84 Rolleston Direct West and 85 Rolleston Direct East. The new services will boost the number of direct buses travelling between Rolleston and the city from 4 to 16 in each direction on weekdays (32 total trips throughout the day). All trips will stop at current Metro Route 85 bus stops at a 10-minute frequency. At the Rolleston end, trips will alternate between covering the East and West sides of the town on a 'hail and ride' basis, giving customers the option to access the service from closer to their home. As a private operator, Bentley Coachlines is not subsidised and does not rely on ratepayer funding. It is not part of the Metro network, meaning that it will have its own fare and payment system. Metrocards, free transfers and concessions will not work on Bentley-operated services and customers will need to check the combined timetable to ensure that they are ready to go on the trip that works best for them. Twelve of the 16 services in each direction will be operated by Bentley Coachlines, which have a standard fare of $3.50-$4 and will accept contactless card payments and cash. Buses will be fitted with clear signage so that customers can easily distinguish between both services before boarding. Great news for Rolleston commuters Environment Canterbury Public Transport general manager Stewart Gibbon said the trial is a win for the Rolleston community and will help provide more transport options for commuters and customers heading to early morning appointments. 'We know from ongoing customer feedback and submissions on our recent Annual Plan that there is strong demand for better services to and from Rolleston. This collaboration with Bentley Coachlines comes at an excellent time to trial something new and staff will use this to inform the next steps for the community. 'This trial will not only boost the number of direct services, but it will provide easier access to public transport for residents. We expect the introduction of early morning services will be especially helpful for morning shift workers travelling in from Rolleston. Metro will continue to run four services in each direction which will operate with new timings,' Stewart said. 'We'll be working closely with Bentley Coachlines staff to ensure customers are informed about the new services. This will include signage and our online Metro channels. Metro staff will also be out and about talking to customers of the current 85 service in the days before the change to provide information and answer any questions. 'In addition to monitoring patronage, we'll also be engaging with customers who use the new services and reviewing feedback to identify any issues. Like with any trial, it's important that people use the service and have their say.' Additional information Bentley Coachlines is a locally owned and trusted company that has been operating buses in Canterbury for almost ten years. They currently have a fleet of 45 buses and coaches used for a variety of services including schools and tour groups.
Otago Daily Times
03-08-2025
- Otago Daily Times
What is the city council spending on?
Construction of One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha accounts for $92m of this year's Annual Plan budget. PHOTO:CCC About $1.6 billion will be spent on Christchurch City Council's Annual Plan this financial where it is going. Significant amendments to the draft Annual Plan were made by city councillors, with funding going to unexpected projects. The Air Force Museum of New Zealand will now receive $5 million towards its $16m extension project. The new wing will house the museum's C-130H Hercules and P-3K2 Orion. Another amendment is a pause in the Christ Church Cathedral reinstatement levy after the project was put on hold. The cathedral levy cost ratepayers $6.52 annually and was planned to last at least another three years. Other notable spending greenlighted through amendments include more chlorine-free water taps like those at Burnside Park and Rawhiti Domain. The taps will be installed with $900,000 allocated to the programme over three years from July next year. This will be enough to install at least two stations a year and potentially more if Government water regulations are relaxed as has been speculated. University students are winners of the budget with discounted prices for city council pools. A student ID will reduce prices to $4.90 from $6.70, in line with gold and community services cards. The reduced prices will start in July next year. Altogether, amendments added 0.04% to the rates increase. Rates have gone up by 6.6% on average to help pay for the $1.6 billion budgeted to cover the cost of running Christchurch. There will be $871 million in operational spending on day-to-day services and $648m in capital spending, including $95.5m for One New Zealand Stadium. Debt repayment will cost $81m. The city council will borrow about $366m to meet a budget shortfall with the goal of returning to surplus in 2028. Total debt will reach $2.8b after this year's Annual Plan. Mayor Phil Mauger says the Annual Plan strikes a 'difficult but necessary' balance between maintaining spending on services and keeping rates manageable. 'Across New Zealand, both organisations and households are grappling with challenging economic conditions and rising living costs, and our council is not immune to these pressures.' The rates increase will be 6.6% overall, including commercial properties, and 6.49% for the average household. This compares to a 9.52% average increase in the 2024/25 Annual Plan approved last year. Mauger points to 1.75% of this budget's rates increase going towards the One New Zealand Stadium build. 'If you take that out of the equation, the overall increase is below 5%,' he said. 'We will build on the foundation set this year – ensuring that Christchurch is well-positioned to face whatever lies ahead.' Several notable projects already had funding allocated in the draft Annual Plan ahead of the final budget. They include $20.3m for the continued Ōmōkihi South Library and Service Centre rebuild, expected to open end of next year. Flood protection and control infrastructure get $20m, which will help improve service and meet increasing demand. There is $19.6m for the activated sludge reactor at the Bromley waste plant, which aims to reduce greenhouse emissions and odour. Ongoing construction of the Ōtākaro-Avon River Corridor City to Sea shared pathway will cost $9.7m. It is due to open end of next year. The Akaroa Wharf will get $6.8m for its continuing upgrade, expected to finish in 2027. City council-funded community housing will receive $5.2m for any needed improvements. The Eastman Sutherland and Hoon Hay Wetlands will get $4.5m to improve stormwater capacity and reduce flooding. There is $3.5m for the Botanic Garden's Cunningham House, or main greenhouse, for an ongoing upgrade expected to finish next year. City council-owned companies and private organisations continue to receive significant grants from the city council. The funding includes Canterbury Museum getting $9m to continue its redevelopment and $4m going to city council-owned Venues Ōtautahi for any upgrades to major venues such as the Town Hall or Wolfbrook Arena. The city council-owned economic development agency ChristchurchNZ will receive $966,000. There is a $618,000 fund which major events hosts can request grants from. Some other well-known organisations receiving grants are Orana Wildlife Park ($260,000), The Arts Centre ($250,000) and the Watch This Space Street Art Programme ($250,000). City council income Rates cover about half of city council income with borrowing about a quarter. The rest mostly comes from fees to access city council services, and facilities and dividends from investments, particularly the city council's owned strategic assets such as Lyttelton Port Company and Christchurch International Airport. Rates: 52% $837m Borrowing: 25% $366m Fees, charges and operational subsidies: 12% $197m Dividends and interest from investments (including council-owned companies): 6% 102m Capital contributions, grants and subsidies: 3% $51m Development contributions: 2% $24m City council spending
Otago Daily Times
27-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Ferrymead Heritage Park's funding bid rejected
Ferrymead Heritage Park is looking to the public for continued support after its bid for more than $3 million in funding from Christchurch City Council was rejected. The park asked for the funding over the next three years as part of the city council's Annual Plan 2025/26. Said the Ferrymead Trust: 'The park acknowledges the support it receives from Christchurch City Council and recognises the pressure on city council budgets. "While Ferrymead Heritage Park was not awarded funding in the Annual Plan we have exciting plans for the ongoing development of the park and will be working in partnership with the city council, other organisations and businesses and the park's societies to realise these.' The park would not expand on its future plans at this stage. It had asked the city council for between $700,000 and $1.2m a year for the next three years. The park has also applied for strengthening communities funding from the council. It has received a total of $1.5m from this fund over the past 10 years. Heathcote city councillor Sara Templeton said she expected the funding to continue. The park will find out in the next six to eight weeks whether it has been successful, said Ferrymead Heritage Park general manager Ian France. He said the majority of the park's funding comes from admissions. France was appreciative of the public's support and hopes it will continue. 'We will keep the park going with whatever income we have,' he said. The park is also trying to attract more volunteers. It has been struggling in recent years, with earthquake-prone buildings it still cannot afford to fix. It wanted to hire more staff, develop more exhibits and enhance its existing ones, and boost its marketing to promote itself as a key tourist destination. Currently it does not have the money to do this. Templeton said the park's submission was not discussed in the formal Annual Plan meeting, but was raised in workshops. 'There's a range of things that we should have looked at in the Annual Plan that weren't part of the process. Ferrymead is one of those,' she said. Templeton said city councillors were told to bring amendments up at the end of the Annual Plan process, which did not lend itself to good discussions. She attributed the submission's rejection to the pressure on funding. 'I'm definitely still keen to work with the park and see what we can do and having a conversation with the wider community next year would be more useful,' said Templeton. She cited the Air Force Museum of New Zealand as an example. The museum was given $5m as part of the Annual Plan after going through a consultation process, two years after its initial submission. 'It's not easy when there's so much pressure on for so many groups and the team at Ferrymead Heritage Park do a lot of amazing work on very little money and it's really appreciated,' said Templeton.
