Have Your Say | Annual Plan 2024-25

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to submit to the Kawerau District Council Annual Plan for 2024-2025. Submissions are now closed. If you have made a submission and if you wish to speak to the Mayor and Councillors at the Extraordinary Meeting Hearing next week, please contact us to arrange a time (if we have not already made contact). 

Extraordinary Meeting Wednesday May 22 at 9am : Hearing for the Annual Plan 2024-2025 

In the lead-up to the adoption of the Annual Plan each year, the Council consults with its community and stakeholders via an Annual Plan Consultation Document. Members of the public, organisations, businesses and groups are encouraged to participate in the annual planning process by making a submission to the Draft Annual Plan. These submissions are taken into account at hearings where submitters have the opportunity to speak to the elected members. Submitters who do not wish to speak to their submission still have their submission taken into account at the deliberations which follow the hearings. 

What your rates dollar pays for: 

Where is your rates money going?  Big Ticket Items 'Asset Renewals' for 2024-2025

Proposed Annual Plan

Proposed Annual Plan Consultation Document 2024/25

Consulation Timeline

  • 10 April 2024 Council adopts the draft consultation document 

  • 12 April 2024 Consultation period opens 

  • 14 May 2024 Closing date for submissions 

  • 22 May 2024 Hearing for Submitters to talk to Council 

  • 29 May 2024 Council deliberates on submissions 

  • 26 June 2024 Council adopts Annual Plan 2024-2025

  • Setting of Rates 2024-2025 

  • Fees and Charges 

  •  Rates Remission Policy 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rates increase this year? 

At the extraordinary meeting, on Wednesday 20 March, Kawerau District Council resolved to adopt the proposed budget for the coming year, which comprises an overall rates increase of 15.1 percent that maintains services at the current levels. 

The increases for properties will vary depending on the individual value of residential, commercial, and industrial properties. To smooth the rates, increase, council proposed increasing the uniform annual general charge (UAGC) from $850 to $950 in 2024-2025. 

UAGC Increasing

Why is the rate increase so high? 

The significant drivers for the proposed 15.1 percent rates increase overall include: 

  • Increasing personnel costs due to inflationary costs and the tight labour market. Additional staff are budgeted for within governance support, engineering, policy planning, solid waste, and finance administration. 

  • Depreciation expenditure of $4,345,100 for the coming year is an increase of $371,890 on last year. Council plans to prudently increase the levels of depreciation funded for strategic assets to 70 percent in 2024-2025.  

  • Increasing finance costs on the loans to fund the drinking water pipe replacements of $217,500. 

  • Council plans to borrow another $2m in 2024-2025 to fund the next planned stage of the drinking water pipe replacements giving a total debt of $6m by June 2025. 

  • Higher inflationary pressures and resource availability driving higher operational costs across water maintenance, refuse cartage and disposal, insurance, civil defence costs, election expenses and electricity. 

  • Reduction of government subsidies to fund the spatial plan development costs contributes an additional $120,000 along with a reduction of interest income. 

 

When are the community engagement sessions? 

12 April 1:30pm - Grey Power Kawerau, Concert Chamber, Ranfurly Court  

16 April 10am-11:30am - ‘Drop In’ public session at Rangi Delamere Centre 

18 April 5:15pm - Public Meeting, Concert Chamber  

23 April 10am - Public Meeting, Rautahi Marae  

9 May 10am-11:30pm - ‘Drop In’ public session at the Kawerau Markets, Circus Paddock 

Why are we not completing a long-term plan this year? 

At an Extraordinary Meeting on Wednesday March 20, Council agreed to proceed with the transitional option of preparing an annual plan for the coming 2024-2025 year. 

This means Kawerau will prepare a long-term plan over a nine-year term from 2025 to 2034. 

Council believes the decision to continue with the option of an enhanced annual plan provides the district with the lowest risk option after the new coalition government enacted the Water Services Acts Repeal Act 2024 in February. This legislative change will replace the former Three Waters’ reform legislation with the Local Water Done Well legislation. 

At the Extraordinary Council Meeting, Kawerau District Council also resolved to adopt the proposed budget for the coming year, which comprises an overall rates increase of 15.1 percent that maintains services at the current levels.  

The increases for properties will vary depending on the individual value of residential, commercial, and industrial properties. To smooth the rates increase, council proposed increasing the uniform annual general charge (UAGC) from $850 to $950 in 2024-2025.  

The consultation document will be delivered to all residents and non-resident ratepayers around mid-April. Please keep an eye out for public meetings so you can attend and have your say. A hearing for submitters to talk to elected members will be held on Wednesday, May 22. 

When is the submission period? 

From Friday,12 April, 2024 to 5pm, Tuesday, 14 May, 2024

How do I make a submission? 

Please note the submission period closes 5pm Tuesday, 14 May 2024. If you would like to use the forms available to make a submission please print it of or fill it out online and email it to Council. Alternatively you can write your own submission without using the form and submit it using one of the mediums below. 

You can make a submission by:

Email submissions@kaweraudc.govt.nz

Via our website www.kaweraudc.govt.nz

Via our Facebook Messenger or

Drop your submission to the Council Office, isite or library.

If you would like to use one of our submission forms please use one of the links below:

Has Council considered reducing services that are running at a loss? 

We encourage people to put in a submission if they believe there are better ways to offer services; or where there may be services that Council could reduce. Let us know what you think and the background reasons behind this. 

If Kawerau does attract more industry and commercial business, will that mean that the rates then go back down?  

The more ratepayers - residential and/or commercial and industrial does mean more that the total amount of rates are spread across a greater number.

Although the numbers of ratepayers has increased in Kawerau, there has been increases across many areas (inflation rises have driven up prices across fuel, electricity, steel, timber and personnel costs for example).

Currently, the rates share remains at 52:48 with the industry and commercial sector having the greater 52% share. This does mean that commercial/industrial ratepayers pay a larger share of the rates.  

What feedback has the council heard about the rate increases? 

The engagement process has only just begun, but there has been some concern raised by both residents and an industrial organisation. 

Why has the Bay of Plenty Regional Council made the decision to rate separately? And will this mean we pay more rates overall? 

Council cannot speak for BOPRC and suggest that people contact their Regional Councillor to ask that question. BOPRC rates are charged once a year in October.

The decision to rate separately from the district council's and Kawerau does not have input into this decision. It does mean that Kawerau will no longer receive the $70,000 payment for collecting the rates on behalf of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Queries about BOPRC rates can be directed to the regional council. 

Is the rate increase going to cover the pipe replacement?

Yes, a percentage of the rates will go towards paying off the water pipe replacement loan. In 2025, Council will borrow another $2 million instalment bringing the total amount borrowed to $6 million.