Draft Annual Plan Maintains Momentum In Roading Improvements

A detour ahead for Hurunui ratepayers won't hinder Hurunui Council's draft Annual Plan 2025/26 from maintaining momentum in roading improvements.
The draft Plan was adopted by Council at Tuesday's meeting with a proposed increase in the general rate of 3.31% - a significant reduction from the 14.49% proposed in the draft Long Term Plan.
The proposed Annual Plan outlines Council's priorities for the year ahead, highlighting what has changed since the Long Term Plan was adopted last year.
Council's Chief Financial officer Jason Beck said Roading funding had accounted for a major portion of the 14.49% increase in the Long Term Plan budgets.
'When the draft Long Term Plan went out for consultation last year, it included a significantly increased roading programme that was based on anticipated subsidies from New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA),' Beck said.
'However, there has been a change of direction in funding for roading. NZTA has not provided the increase in funding that Council anticipated.'
As a result, Council has reassessed the level of roading work it can realistically fund using ratepayer funding.
The result is a roading programme that is close to the current year's at around $13.5 million.
Beck said while this was lower than anticipated from the 'ambitious' roading programme anticipated in the draft Long Term Plan, the 2025/26 proposed roading programme was greater than past funding.
Mayor Marie Black said Council was very aware of the 'cumulative' impact of rates increases over the past five years.
'With that in mind, and in the context of ongoing inflationary pressure, we've taken a careful and considered approach to this year's budget — balancing affordability with the need to keep delivering the services and infrastructure our communities rely on,' Mayor Marie said.
In an addition that was not signalled in the Long Term Plan, the Hurunui Community Committee is now proposing to include a sum of $500,000 in the Annual Plan 2025/26 to provide funding for potential upgrades to community facilities within the Hawarden Waikari rating area.
As part of the Annual Plan process, Council is also reviewing its Fees and Charges for the year 2025/26. Fees and Charges are the costs that Council recovers in providing specific services such as building consents, infrastructure costs, and more.
Consultation on the draft Annual Plan and Fees and Charges closes on 30 May 2025. To have your say on Council's proposals, please go to https://www.hurunui.govt.nz/have-your-say/consultations. More information and paper submission forms can also be found at all Council's service centres and libraries.

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RNZ News

a day ago

• RNZ News

Hawke's Bay residents outraged over council's proposed water rate hike

The hike is due to a proposed regional water entity to replace the Three Waters Policy. Photo: RNZ/Alexa Cook A group of Central Hawke's Bay residents are accusing the council of causing 'geriatric poverty' because of a proposed water rates hike of $5000 dollars per household over the next decade. In the quiet township of Takapau, a group of angry residents have banded together to fight the council's proposed water rates increases. (Left to right) Takapau residents Carl Tippett, Owen Clough, Lincoln Taylor, Christine Ross, Carmel Thompson, Kim Mathewson and Diane Sweeney. Photo: RNZ/Alexa Cook Kim Mathewson told RNZ she's outraged about the entire council process, and fears the devastating impact it'll have on their community. "There will be geriatric poverty here. That's really sad when someone thinks 'can't turn on the heater because of the power bill, I can't buy food because I have to buy the rates'. What kind of country are we living in? "Does this council have any social conscience? Because the way it is right now it appears they don't," she said. Kim has crunched the numbers on her own rates bill and said if, or when, water rates reach the council's forecast of $7000 a household by 2035, it will simply be unaffordable because it takes the total annual rates bill to about $9,500. "That's $180 a week per household of rates alone, plus $100 insurance, plus your power bill... if you're on a pension you're pretty much going to be left with $50 a week if you're lucky. No one can afford that," she said. Lincon Taylor owns Takapau business Taylor Made Gates and said under the CHBDC proposal he's facing a water rates rise of more than $25,000 a year for his business and the four properties he rents to his workers. "It's a huge increase. I find it hard to understand how the figures add up, what the council is trying to achieve, and who is paying for it," Taylor said. He said the regional model was probably needed, as Hastings and Napier could help make it an economy of scale for borrowing money, but worried about smaller rural communities like his. "I hope it doesn't turn around and bite small communities too hard because they can't afford it. "I'm proud of the fact that Takapau township has become a retirement village effectively... but they are the ones who are going to be affected the most. To add $4000 to their rates is going to be horrendous," Taylor said. Under the CHBDC proposal, Taylor Made Gates owner Lincoln Taylor estimates his water rates bill will increase by about $25,000 a year for his business and the rental properties for his workers. Photo: RNZ/Alexa Cook Carmel Thompson manages the CHB budget service and helps over 300 families and pensioners with their spending. But with the inevitable water rates increase, she's concerned about how her clients - both homeowners and renters - will make ends meet. "We have a lot of elderly women on our books and those living off only the pension are already struggling with the rates so I hate to think what will happen if we end up with these huge water rates, I'm not sure how these people will manage. "The elderly on pensions are our new poor. Everyone in the community is suffering though, it's really really sad," Thompson said. Fellow Takapau resident, Carl Tippett agreed. He moved from a rural property into the village of Takapau, but was now looking at moving away. "This is the beginning of the death of small towns right throughout New Zealand. If this goes ahead then people like us, over 65's, will not be able to afford to live... I feel angry. "We're at the end of the rope not the beginning. Frankly it's too late... there should have been a much longer consultation," he said. Owen Clough felt the council and government had failed to properly consider the huge impact on its residents if water rates skyrocket over $7000 by 2035. "There's no social thought about what is going to happen. No one has sat down and said 'can they afford afford this, can the country afford this?', because the answer is no," he said. Takapau pensioner Diana Sweeney was frustrated by the same issues, and questioned whether CHBDC was doing enough to lobby the government for help. "The lack of responsibility to this community by previous councils, the buck has to stop somewhere. The council needs to be our voice, we are a small town and we count. They need to spend our money responsibly," she said. A feeling echoed by Christine Ross, she's also part of the group and is one of 208 people who made submissions on the 'Local Water Done Well' proposals. "I can't afford to pay an increased rate on a single pension, it'll be almost 50 percent of my pension each week being spend on rates and I don't have it. "I won't be able to afford to live here, or anywhere at this rate. I'm horrified, I don't understand why the council isn't working for us, to help us," she said. CHB Mayor Alex Walker told RNZ the 'Local Water Done Well' was government's policy and framework. "The costs outlined in the current model are confronting, however council is actively working on options to reduce this cost, as outlined in the report to Council on 5 June. "We take every person, in every community seriously. Takapau was the first community in the district to get major water treatment plant upgrades in 2019," she said. CHBDC Mayor Alex Walker. Photo: RNZ / Alexa Cook CHBDC said it had the "perfect storm" of water problems in the region, with years of underinvestment, increasing regulations and an intimidating list of three waters infrastructure that needed upgrading or replacing. 85 percent of total council debt is related to the three waters programme with 25 percent of the drinking water piping network and 40 percent of the wastewater piping network at high risk of failure. Two water reservoirs are over 100 years old and need replacing, seven water treatment plants need $47 million of upgrades, and six wastewater treatment plants are not compliant and urgently need upgrading to the tune of $112 million. Central Hawke's Bay residents feel their council hasn't been transparent about the forecast future water rates hike. Photo: RNZ/Alexa Cook The Mayor said the council had consulted with the community for five weeks and had 10 meetings including two in Takapau. "Affordability. Affordability. Affordability. It is our key challenge and Local Water Done Well does not convincingly deliver that for us yet. Our community can see it and they are, quite rightly, not happy," Walker said. She said the council was continuously talking to government about the district's challenges and opportunities. "We have made multiple approaches to government, including seeking financial support and leading early work across the region on the Hawke's Bay Model in 2019. "Local Water Done Well is the government's approach to address the challenges districts, like ours, face which sets out that ratepayers not government pays for water assets like any other utility, such as electricity or gas," she said. Residents don't just have an issue with the cost, but also with what they said was a lack of consultation with residents over the massive water rates hike being proposed. Kim Mathewson told RNZ the council had known about the proposal since December, but only informed residents in May. "They're not being transparent right now and presenting all the figures. The information they gave us at the community meeting was like a power point presentation for a business, it didn't give you the facts. "It didn't highlight the $7000 increase and it was so small at the bottom of the page... to me that's not being transparent... it's being dishonest," she said. But mayor Alex Walker said the council had been transparent, and the financial rules presented in December have rapidly changed and are no longer correct. "That we were approaching consultation has been flagged in the media, and the regional work towards LWDW has been reported on repeatedly over the last few years. "We have had constructive conversations with people across the district. Most people are aware we are fighting for them, not with them, to make the district a better place and figure out an affordable solution," Walker said. However, residents want to see CHBDC lobby the government for more funding, to try and reduce the burden on ratepayers. "They have to fight the fight with the government. I've said to them: 'when you first saw this why did you not come to us, we are your biggest ally and you chose not to use us'. "We could have been fighting this fight two years ago. The consultation period has been too short, but I do know it's been the same for every community," Kim Mathewson said. Under the new 'Local Water Done Well' scheme, the Central Hawke's Bay District Council consulted with its community on three options: A regional controlled organisation (its preferred option), a stand-alone district council controlled organisation or an in-house delivery unit. However, under the scheme there are also two other options that weren't presented to CHB resident; a mixed council and consumer trust owned model, and a consumer trust owned organisation where assets are transferred from council to a trust. "They should have showed us all the options and presented them much better," Kim Mathewson said. However, CHBDC said it was only able to legislatively comply with three options, which was what it presented to the community in the Consultation Document, and this was explained on its website. Having now heard the public submissions on the proposed options for water services, the council will deliberate these at its meeting on July 3rd. All councils have to submit a 'water service delivery plan' to the government by September 3rd 2025. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Scoop

3 days ago

• Scoop

Taking The Handbrake Off Productivity Through Transport Rule Reform

Minister of Transport The Government is progressing a bold work programme to increase productivity and efficiency through comprehensively reforming New Zealand's land transport rules, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. 'Land transport rules set out how different sectors of the transport industry must operate. They impact all road users - from the suburban mum or dad who has to get a Warrant of Fitness every year no matter how new or well-maintained their car, to the truckies who've been loaded up with compliance costs due to rules long since made redundant through advances in technology,' says Mr Bishop. 'Right now the rules system is overly cumbersome to update and creates a substantial administrative burden for New Zealand businesses trying their best to operate safely, legally and efficiently. 'The rules are full of nonsensical or outdated requirements. For example, the Road User Rule doesn't currently permit e-scooters to use cycle lanes or young children to ride their bikes on the footpath. Several rules require hard copy letters to be posted instead of sending emails, which last year alone resulted in 14 million hard copy letters, reminders, and labels being posted at a cost to the taxpayer of $16.8 million. While some of these letters will still need to be printed and posted, the rules reform programme will make it possible for many of these services to be modernised. 'Earlier this year, I started work to update one of the land transport rules by consulting on proposals to reduce how often private motorhomes and vintage cars and motorcycles need to renew their Warrant of Fitness (WOF) or Certificate of Fitness (COF). 'Now we're taking that same common-sense approach to other transport rules through a comprehensive programme of work to reform and update them, with most decisions expected to be made over the next 18 months.' The Land Transport Rules Reform Programme includes seven streams of work: Reducing the frequency of vintage vehicle and motorhome WOF and COF inspections, as previously announced. Considering additional safety requirements for vehicle imports including a possible phased introduction. Reviewing WOF/COF frequency and inspection requirements for light vehicles. Simplifying heavy vehicle driver licencing, weight thresholds, and freight permitting to improve efficiency and productivity for the freight sector. Enabling digital driver licences and, digital alternatives to WOF/COF/rego stickers, allowing NZTA to electronically collect, store and send regulatory notices, enabling online theory tests, and simplifying identification requirements for NZTA customers. Improving lane use and use of traffic control devices, and minor system improvements, which will include enabling e-scooters in cycle lanes and children to ride bikes on footpaths, minimum overtaking gaps when passing cyclists, horses etc, and requiring vehicles to give way to buses exiting bus stops. Overhauling the vehicle regulatory system to make it more efficient, effective and adaptable, including simplifying and refocusing import requirements and streamlining recognition of overseas standards. 'The work delivers on commitments in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport and the Road Safety Objectives document to review the vehicle regulatory system to improve safety, reduce regulatory burden, and ensure our domestic rules are fit for purpose, investigate our warrant of fitness system to more effectively and efficiently target risk, and investigate new safety requirements for vehicles entering the fleet', says Mr Bishop. 'The programme includes some longer-term pieces of work that will not be complete within the 18 months, such as overhauling the vehicle regulatory system to reduce complexity and better align with other jurisdictions' requirements. Another longer-term piece of work will be reviewing the Vehicle Dimension and Mass rule because requirements have not kept up with changes in the international automotive industry. 'Our Government wants to remove pointless inefficiencies – things that we do simply because we've always done it that way. It's not good enough to force New Zealand businesses to comply with outdated rules simply because it's too hard to update them. Removing or updating rules that are no longer relevant and that have little real benefit will mean we can focus on driving our economy forward.' Notes: A fact sheet laying out the Land Transport Rules Reform Programme is here. Public Consultation: Public consultation will begin in October 2025 on: Additional safety requirements for imports Changes to WOF and COF inspection requirements and frequency for light vehicles, and Changes to freight permitting requirements. This is expected to be followed by consultation in early 2026 on: Possible changes to licence weight thresholds Enabling a digital driver licence, digital documents, and e-servicing Improving lane use and use of traffic control devices. Initial consultation on overhauling the vehicle regulatory system is planned for mid-2026.

Scoop

3 days ago

• Scoop

Cost-Saving Water Project Sets Examples For Small Councils Nationwide

Hurunui District Council's award-winning Water Safety Project for protozoa compliance has been recognised yet again - this time for the impressive cost savings it's delivered while meeting new water standards. Council won the Excellence in Cost Effective Impact Award at the 2025 LGFA Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards held last week. The category is new to the awards and recognises programmes or projects that generate significant and demonstrable reduction in costs without compromising the achievement of the desired outcome. Hurunui's Water Safety Project previously won the Excellence in Water Project Award at last month's Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) Excellence Awards. Council's Chief Operations Officer Dan Harris said winning the Excellence in Cost Effective Impact category award was especially meaningful as the project had been born out of the challenges of meeting the costs of impending drinking water standards, which, for many of the districts' smaller supplies, would have been unaffordable. The project involved upgrades to 16 water treatment plants at a total cost of $24 million to comply with water safety regulations requiring protozoa protection for each of these plants. 'It was an ambitious project by any standard but especially challenging for our district with its population of around 13,800 residents spread across 8,641 km2,' Harris said. In 2015, Council consulted with its communities on a way forward to meet protozoa compliance. 'We agreed to implement a district-wide equitable rating system for all drinking water supplies. This combined all finances for all but one of our schemes,' Harris said. To keep costs down, Council established an in-house Project Management Office (PMO), which significantly reduced the reliance on external consultants. Judges at the awards recognised the project as a 'prime example of how rigorous project management and quality engagement can enable a council to meet both a critical regulatory requirement and a significant community expectation'. Council CEO Hamish Dobbie said Hurunui is proud to be leading the way in developing a model of water delivery that is uniquely tailored to the district and has resulted in significant cost savings. 'Judges at both awards have commented that our model can be replicated by other councils, and is especially valuable for smaller councils managing multiple schemes,' Dobbie said. Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said delivering robust infrastructure with good financial management sits at the heart of Council's strategic vision. 'As a smaller council, we're showing that through collaboration and strong financial management, it's possible to deliver innovative solutions with benefits well beyond our own district.' This is the second year in a row Hurunui District Council has won its category at the Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards, having previously won the Community Engagement category last year.