Hurunui ratepayers will see an average rates rise of 3.37%, with Council adopting its Annual Plan for 2025/26 yesterday.

The Plan outlines how Council will pay for key infrastructure and services over the next financial year, and signals key changes from Year 2 of the Long Term Plan.

The biggest change is the reduction of the average rates increase from the 14.49% forecast in the Long Term Plan down to 3.37%. This reflects changes to anticipated funding from Waka Kotahi NZTA coming in lower than hoped for, resulting in a reassessment of the Roading programme.

Hurunui District Mayor Marie Black congratulated Council officers and elected members for their diligent work in achieving the balance between progressing significant capital works and “understanding and respecting the needs of our community”.

The Annual Plan was delivered with an unbalanced budget, with Council’s Chief Financial Officer Jason Beck noting that rates could have been set higher but a decision was made in the interests of being fiscally prudent on behalf of the community.

Operational spending is set at $74,474,564, against operating revenue of $68,363,190. This has resulted in an operating deficit of $10,353,719, with Council staging in the funding of depreciation.

Total rates for the 12 months ahead have been set at $34,355,661.

Council CEO Hamish Dobbie added his congratulations. “The government wants to put on rate capping as a tool to rein in rates increases but this Council has worked really hard to come up with a plan that is affordable.”

The average rates increase is slightly adjusted from the 3.31% forecast in the draft Plan following Council deliberations on submissions. Hurunui communities were consulted on the draft plan from 30 April to 30 May 2025. A total of 43 written submissions were received. Following deliberations, the following changes were made to the draft 2025/26 Annual Plan budget:

• $20,000 increase to the Contestable Fund allocation for the South Ward.
• Reforecasting of the operational budget for the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa.
• New footpaths for Cheviot, to be funded through the reintroduction of the Cheviot Roadside Construction Rate.
• The deferral of the Glass Collection Rate for the Amberley township until 1 July 2026.
• Forecasting the capital expenditure in the 2024/25 year for the Amberley Beach Proactive Relocation project.
• Making provision for the proposed sealing project for Maskells Road with the 50% funding coming from the affected ratepayers.
• Provision of grant funding of $20,000 to the Queen Mary Hospital Historic Reserve Charitable Trust.
• Additional grant funding of $5,000 to the St James Trails Trust.

Council at its meeting also adopted the Fees and Charges for 2025/26, including, for the first time, the Soldiers’ Block building at Queen Mary Hospital Historic Reserve.

The final Annual Plan 2025/26 and Fees and Charges will be published on Council’s website at www.hurunui.govt.nz and will also be available at Council’s service centres and libraries.

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