Stratford District Council (SDC) adopted its 2023/24 Annual Report, accompanied by a clean audit opinion, at its Ordinary Meeting on 10 December 2024. A summary and the full report can be viewed online at Stratford.govt.nz

Chief Executive Sven Hanne says 20234/24 has been a more standard year for council in comparison to the previous few. “We largely went back to basics with a focus on infrastructure renewals and maintenance, which is what keeps our services running.”

Some of this work included:

• Victoria Park pond being drained, cleaned and refilled
• Redevelopment of the Skate Park’s bowl
• Replacement work on the septic tank at the Whangamōmona Camp ground
• Re-alignment of Cardiff Road and safety improvements on Beaconsfield Road
• Fencing of the town’s oxidation ponds
• Midhirst cemetery pathways upgrade

Alongside these brick-and-mortar projects, highlights from the year include:

• Wai o Rua – Stratford Aquatic Centre Swim School completed it’s first year of operation, with 1,375 kids receiving swimming lessons through the programme. Wai o Rua was also successful in receiving $153,000 from TOI Foundation to deliver water safety and learn to swim lessons to local schools.
• Summer Nights, SDC’s annual free community events, featuring movies and music in the park, was delivered with the support of TOI Foundation and Taranaki Electricity Trust
• Ngāruahine Iwi Health Services and SDC joined forces to deliver Puanga – A Starry Night event. With a focus on entertainment, education, and hauora; a Māori philosophy of health and wellbeing, it was a celebration for all ages and very well attended.
• Stratford District Youth Council delivered fun, free and low-cost events for tamariki and rangatahi across the district, and swore in 6 new members in early 2024.
• Stratford’s Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs Workforce Programme helped 38 locals find employment.
• Responses from our annual customer survey showed residents are continually impressed with the level of service across our facilities. Of all the councils the external research agency works with, our Library and Visitor Information Centre scored the highest satisfaction rating nationally with a staggering 97%.

When looking at the dollars, SDC finished the year with a net deficit of $57,000. Revenue was down 17% from what was budgeted, mostly due to the removal of external funding for Transport Choices. Expenditure was 2%, or $552,000 above budget, due to cost increases exceeding what was forecast.

At $8.2 million, the actual capital expenditure for the financial year was significantly below the $13.4 million spent in 22/23 and $24.4 million spent in 21/22. “This demonstrates the significant work programme council has gone through in previous years, and the return to a more normal and long-term sustainable level of expenditure,” says Sven.

These figures include external funding sources, such as NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi subsidies and central government grants, and a significant portion of the increased spend in previous years was triggered by external one-off funding opportunities.

For a full breakdown on council activities and financial statements read the Annual Report 2023/24 here: https://www.Stratford.govt.nz/AnnualPlansAndReports

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