WCRC Meeting Its Targets
The achievements are in the non-financial performance report for the 2024-2025 financial year presented at yesterday's Council meeting. This measures against the 2024-2025 Long-term Plan.
Corporate Services Group Manager Peter Miller says the report shows 23 of 27 (85%) targets were met, an improvement on the second quarter's 81%.
'Overall, it demonstrates we're doing what we said we'd do. Our emergency preparedness, flood protection scheme maintenance and responsiveness to increased demand on our hotline 0508 800 118 are all high points.
'There were some targets we couldn't meet mainly due to external factors, such as the Ministry for the Environment not yet releasing National Policy Statements. This means we haven't been able to deliver on some of our expected work programmes.'
A report on developing the Annual Plan for 2025-2026, and seeking direction on the setting of rates, was also tabled.
'There are no significant differences to levels of service or deliverables between the Long-term Plan Year 2 and the Annual Plan for 2025-2026', says Peter Miller.
'The increase in Council's general rate is proposed to be 12%, as per the Long-term Plan Year 2 consultation.
'Increases in targeted rates for the 23 rating district schemes across the Coast will be discussed with those rating districts.'
'Council's unallocated debt has risen as expected, it was $10m in 2024. In line with previous expectations set out in the Long-term Plan, the paper recommends Council start considering how to manage debt as part of the next LTP cycle.'
The draft Annual Plan will be presented at Council's 3 June meeting.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
18 hours ago
- Scoop
Applications For Rates Rebate Scheme Open 1 August
Applications for the rates rebate scheme for the 2025/26 rates year with new eligibility rules open on 1 August 2025. The rating year runs from 1 July to 30 June. The rates rebate scheme provides a rebate for low-income earners who are paying rates for the home they are living in. As a result of the Government's budget announcements, the income threshold to be eligible for the maximum rebate for SuperGold cardholders and their households is increasing to $45,000. This took effect from 1 July for the 2025/2026 rating year. For non-SuperGold cardholders and their households the income threshold will be lifted to $32,210. Those with a higher level of income may also be entitled to a partial rebate. The maximum rebate has also been increased from $790 to $805. To apply, it is important people have the right information. Applicants need to provide proof of income from Inland Revenue for the financial year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 and their SuperGold card if applicable. Council's Customer Service Centre in Blenheim will have dedicated rates rebate staff on duty from 1 August to 11 September 2025 from 9am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4pm each day to help. There are two car parks for mobility permit holders at the rear of the Council building. Applications for 2025/26 close on 30 June 2026.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Growth In The District - What It Means For All Of Us
At Council, we often get asked about growth and what it means for us in the Horowhenua. Here's a breakdown of how we're growing, where it's coming from and what we're doing to plan for it. If you were to compare Horowhenua to a life stage, we would be that slightly awkward, pimply faced teen. We'd be trying out different hair colours, growing out of school uniforms, listening to angsty teen anthems and fuelled on bowls of Weetbix, frozen dumplings and endless packets of two-minute noodles. As a district, we're in between big and small. We have a beautiful mix of urban and rural, made up of towns and settlements that are home to close knit communities. But it won't be long before Levin (our biggest town) is on its way to becoming a city. It's hard to imagine what that change will look like for us, or what it will mean for our communities, houses, town centres, schools and businesses. Speak to one of the many 65+ year olds that call Horowhenua home and they will say it wasn't that long ago that St Annes Street in Levin backed onto paddocks filled with sheep and you could buy your first house for the same price as a ride on lawn mower in today's currency. So how fast are we actually growing? Up until about 2014, Horowhenua had almost no growth, according to Census data, between 1991 and 2013 our population grew by just 200. This began to change, when we saw our population jump by more than 3000 in 2018 – a trend that has continued in the 2023 Census when our population increased by another 4000. Growth forecasts have pulled back since 2021, lowering the population and household numbers originally forecast, but Horowhenua is predicted to continue as the fastest growing district in the Manawatū-Whanganui region, and to grow strongly alongside the greater Wellington region councils. Our district's population is projected to grow at a rate of 1.5% per annum from 2025 until 2030, increasing to 2.1% per annum until 2044. This means our population will increase to more than 54,000 by 2044 and more than 66,000 by 2054. According to the 95th growth rate, in the first 10 years of the Long Term Plan our population is expected to grow by 700 per year on average. Looking back over the last 10 or so years, our annual population growth has been (on average) 2013-2018 – 400 per year 2019-2023 – 800 per year From the 2023 Census to the 2024 population estimates, our population grew by 900 in that year alone. This all indicates that our real-world growth is tracking very close to what our population projections expected. We also regularly review these projections – however it is important to remember that short term shocks and year to year variation occurs – given the long range nature of our work, we need to plan for the trendline, not the headline. People are moving from places like Wellington, Kāpiti and Auckland due to rising house prices, congestion and a change in flexible/remote working arrangements. Domestic migrants are looking for affordable, lifestyle-focused alternatives. Our proximity to Wellington and the highway means we're appealing to these former city dwellers. We've noticed it in subdivision growth in Levin, Foxton Beach, Ōhau, and Waitārere Beach, and in an increase in residential building consents and infrastructure pressure in semi-urban and rural areas. Where are we growing and does this impact how we prioritise infrastructure investment? Census data tells us that our district had 36,696 residents across the district in March 2023. With Levin having more than half of the total district's population, we need to ensure water and wastewater service delivery is adequate and resilient for residents of today and into the future. Council has committed to spending $284m on water projects alone over the next 10 years, with a further $340m investment anticipated for the following 20 years. Significant projects include upgrades to the Levin Wastewater Treatment Plant and building a more resilient water supply for Levin and Ōhau, with major investment committed to projects across the district. Horowhenua District's Population as of 2023 Census data Levin – 19,539 Rural – 4,491 Foxton – 3,384 Waitārere-Waikawa-Hōkio - 3,342 Ōhau -Manakau** - 2,262 Foxton Beach – 2,130 Shannon – 1,548 TOTAL – 36,696 *Hokio Beach is split between Waitārere and Waikawa for SA2 (Census Unit) purposes, we have grouped into a single unit. **Ōhau-Manakau is a single SA2 (Census Unit) From 2018-2023 we've seen the biggest percentage change in the 15-29 year age group at 31%, 65+ age group at 28%, 30-64 age group at 19% and under 15's changed by 15%. Is it just population growth, or are we also seeing economic growth? The two go hand-in-hand. As a district we've experienced consistent growth in both new and existing businesses since 2018. This has been driven by a combination of entrepreneurship, infrastructure investment, industrial expansion, and coordinated support from Council and economic development agency The Horowhenua Company Limited. The district has benefited from diversification, modern business park development, and targeted efforts to build workforce capability and attract private investment. What's Council doing about growth? Council has prepared the Horowhenua Growth Strategy 2040, which sets out where we expect to grow over this period. It covers urban growth areas for both housing and business – but land needs to be rezoned under the District Plan before development can occur (e.g. change the zoning from Rural to Residential) – so the growth strategy is pretty high level. We have started rezoning land already, with Tara-Ika rezoned to allow development last year and a proposal to rezone land in the north-west Levin area currently underway. When planning urban growth areas, we consider things like infrastructure requirements, transport links, environmental suitability, and community amenities—doing our best to ensure growth is coordinated rather than reactive. Council is required by the National Policy Statement for Urban Development to provide sufficient zoned and serviced land to meet demand for housing and business land – the Growth Strategy, the District Plan, and other key Council documents like the Infrastructure Strategy and Long Term Plan help us to do this. We are aware the Government announced a 'stop work' notice on District Plan changes last week – with a few exemptions. This announcement does impact some of the growth-related plan changes we were intending to do and may impact our ability to enable development in the way needed to support growth. However, this announcement is very fresh and we are awaiting further details and direction to understand how this will impact our work, including whether the exemptions will apply to this work. We don't build houses, but we help create the conditions for housing supply to meet demand. This includes rezoning land to allow for housing or mixed use, working with developers and iwi/hapū to bring land to market, improving consent processes and development guidance, advocating for central government investment in housing and infrastructure, and planning and delivering infrastructure projects. We prioritise infrastructure investment through our Long Term Plan, with a focus on: Expanding and upgrading water and wastewater systems Strengthening transport networks and connectivity Future-proofing community facilities like libraries, pools, and recreation areas We may be in our awkward teenager phase, but Council doesn't prepare for growth alone. We engage with and listen to you, our community, to help guide our decision making. We work with government agencies like Waka Kotahi NZTA, Kāinga Ora and the Ministry for the Environment. We engage Iwi/hapū to ensure mana whenua aspirations are reflected in planning and we work with the likes of developers, schools, the Ministry of Health and community providers to align services and infrastructure with growth. What does growth mean for all of us? A growing district brings both pros and cons. The benefits include: A larger rating base As more homes are built, the total rates burden is shared by more ratepayers, which can help reduce the impact on existing households in the long run. A stronger local economy More people means more spending in local shops, cafes, and services—helping our businesses grow and supporting local jobs. Better infrastructure funding Growth unlocks access to central government and developer funding for key infrastructure projects—roads, pipes, parks, and community facilities—that might not otherwise be affordable – the more people per pipe to share the costs, the more affordable. We might also get improved services by other infrastructure providers – such as more schools, or a public transport system. More housing choice Growth encourages more housing supply, including smaller homes, retirement options, and rental choices—helping to ease pressure on the housing market over time. Vibrant communities New families, businesses, and community groups bring fresh energy and ideas, making Horowhenua an even more vibrant and connected place to live. The challenges of growth that need to be navigated are: Upfront infrastructure costs To prepare for more people, we often need to invest in roads, pipes, and services before the growth fully arrives. That can feel unfair if you're already paying rates and struggling with costs, but in Horowhenua we have development contributions, which means the 30% of total expenditure that relates to growth is paid for not by current ratepayers, but by developers and people subdividing or building new homes in the district who will benefit from the infrastructure that's required to support that growth. Pressure on services Rapid growth can strain existing services—like waste collection, libraries, roads, and stormwater—if we don't plan carefully. Changing character Growth can bring change to neighbourhoods, landscapes, and how places feel. That change can be exciting—or unsettling. Uncertainty It can be difficult to predict the exact when, where, and what type of growth – factors outside of Council's control (like market forces, interest rates, and central government policy) could cause growth to happen more quickly or more slowly than we expect, or limit the actions Council can take to keep up with growth. To counteract this, we regularly review growth projections and are improving monitoring of development uptake. This means we can adjust our approach if needed – such as speeding projects up or slowing them down. However, the Government's direction to 'stop work' on plan changes puts us at risk of being unable to keep up with demand for housing and business land. We are awaiting further detail from the Government about this. Have you noticed a change in traffic congestion, available GP appointments, the lead in time required to enrol the kids in a local school, or perhaps more options to eat out at night? Much like a caring parent, who's navigating the angsty teenage years, as kaitiaki we want to make sure that Horowhenua is not just prepared for growth and our next 'life stage', but that with clever strategic planning, collaborative partnerships and our community's best interests at heart, in years to come we will look back and be proud of the decisions we've made and the work we've done to shape our district. We'll be discussing growth among other things tonight in a Facebook Live session - feel free to join us and share any questions you may have, and we will do our best to answer them.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
New Plymouth District Council credits property owners $3.1 million to fix rates bungle
New Plymouth District Council chief executive Gareth Green. Photo: Taupō District Council / Supplied New Plymouth councillors have agreed to credit residential ratepayers an average of $102 each after a gaffe in its annual plan meant property owners faced a 12.8 percent rates hike rather than the 9.9 percent advertised. At an extra-ordinary meeting on 22 July, councillors decided to try to find $3.1 million in savings to absorb the cost of the mistake. In a chamber filled with members of the New Plymouth Ratepayers Alliance wearing black T-shirts with "Respect Our Rates" emblazoned on them, council chief executive Gareth Green kicked proceedings off with a lengthy apology. "I stand before you today to introduce this paper for your decision making, but more importantly to own on behalf of this organisation an error which has let each of you, the community and ourselves down. "Standing here having to introduce this matter brings me no joy, however, as your chief executive it is my responsibility to own what is a significant failing of this organisation." The residential rates error was discovered as part of an internal review called for following an earlier GST bungle which could've cost council $20 million in lost revenue. The GST mistake - which had been characterised as a "typo" and "cut and paste" error - was corrected earlier this month. As well as ironing out the average residential rates glitch, councillors also corrected an annual plan wording error relating to industrial water use which could've cost council a further $1.4 million in lost revenue. An external Simpson Grierson review, which ran concurrently with the internal investigation, found council lacked financial reporting and modelling capability which "strongly suggests a need for training, and possibly recruitment / restructure and training". Green was not sure exactly how the rates error occurred but said it involved an incorrect assumption about the average value of residential land. "I put it into the context that there was a lot of pressure about getting rates down and being able to keep them down and that potentially could've contributed. "We were going through a restructure process which adds stress and pressure into any organisation and there were a lot of other processes going on nationally and locally at the time. "Just like in the airline sector a plane doesn't crash because one engine stops, it does when a number of things line up and we had a number of things lining up here which created this issue." Councillors had to decide whether to offer the automatic rates remission, go ahead and charge the full 12.8 percent or initiate a Rates Replacement Proposal to increase the commercial / industrial differential rate for 2025/26 which would've required a round of consultation. New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin Mayor Neil Holdom's recommended councillors opt for the rates remission. He acknowledged councillor Amanda Clinton-Ghodes for repeatedly raising the issue of risk when council lost two senior finance leaders - one through a resignation - during the restructure period. "Today's meeting is about transparency and finding a way forward. We've published the details of the errors and the external report including a suite of recommendations developed to ensure we are legally compliant and square these issues with the community in a fully transparent manner. The motion before you does that." Deputy mayor David Bublitz said corrosion of the public trust the gaffes caused couldn't be overstated. "The first thing we have to do is restore the trust of the public and we restore the trust of the public by doing what we said we were going to do which is rate them at the right number. "We've got no choice. We then need to ... whoever is back [after the local body elections] ... needs to work hard to ensure that our council is a little bit leaner, a little bit more efficient and a little bit more innovative, so we can make that money back. We have to get it back." Councillor Murray Chong wanted to be done with it and charge the full 12.8 percent. "The real rate is 12.8 percent. That's it. We weren't being honest or we didn't realise we weren't being honest, but it wasn't 9.9 percent at all. "So what do we do? Do we give you a remission or do we face the reality and pay it this year because the reality is because if we don't pay it this year we will have to pay it next year or we make cuts and how are we going to make cuts? We already tried to make cuts." Chong didn't believe $3.1 million in savings could be found before June next year so council would end up borrowing to pay the shortfall. Outgoing councillor Anneka Carlson-Matthews admitted she didn't often agree with councillor Chong, but she wasn't comfortable with lumping more debt on the incoming council either. "To be fair I can't leave in good faith with a $3.1 million deficit for the [incoming] council on our mistake. That doesn't sit well. "All the talk about us being able to find it [the money] and we're going to cut service levels and we're going to reign [spending] in. We reigned it in. "And we heard from the CEO today that part of that reigning it in and restructure - which was great and we saved $10 million - was actually part of potentially why we're in the situation we are now." Carlson-Matthews didn't believe council could find the savings without making significant sacrifices. Councillors voted 13-2 in favour of the rates remission. Rates bills for the first of four quarterly instalments were expected to be sent out at the end of this month as normal. The amount owed showing on the bill would reflect the resolution in adopting the Annual Plan, but an "adjustment" or credit would be applied to each bill to reflect the decision made by the council on 22 July. The credit would be spread across the year.
