Hurunui Elections: The Three Big Challenges For The Council

Tuesday, 19 August 2025, 4:43 pm
Article: David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter

The threat of climate change, water infrastructure upgrades, and roading are among the challenges facing the Hurunui District Council, chief executive Hamish Dobbie says. 

As he looks ahead to October’s local Government elections, Mr Dobbie said the district has faced numerous challenges, including the recovery from the 2016 earthquake, drought, Covid-19 and changes to Government legislation. 

Over the last four years, the council has worked with its beach communities to develop coastal adaptation plans to address the threats of coastal erosion, sea level rise and climate change. 

The coastal adaptation plan for the Amberley Beach village includes provision for managed retreat and land banking, with the council recently buying a $3.8m property at Ashworths Road, south of Amberley. ‘

‘Further work will be undertaken to develop residential sections primarily for the provision of land for relocation, with surplus sections being sold on the open market with the proceeds to offset costs,’’ Mr Dobbie said. 

The purchase has been debt funded, with affected residents able to opt in to receive a section by paying a targeted rate. 

The Hurunui District Council has made significant investment in its water services infrastructure over the last decade. 

In last year’s 2024/34 Long Term Plan, the council signalled it planned to spend $322m on capital projects over the next 10 years, including $293m on water services and roading. 

The Hurunui district, which has a population of around 13,000, has around 900km of unsealed roads and 600km of sealed roads. 

The roading budget has since been reduced, as Hurunui did not get the funding it had sought from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency in the 2024/27 National Land Transport Programme. 

The council has estimated it needs about $3 million a year to maintain and upgrade its ageing network of 286 bridges. 

Four bridge replacements were included in the Long Term Plan, but the council received just $600,000 towards bridge replacement in the 2024/27 NLTP. 

Hurunui has since voted to form a joint water services council controlled organisation (CCO) with the Kaikōura District Council, with the two councils signing off their water services delivery plan last week to submit to the Department of Internal Affairs. 

‘‘This will result in the ownership of the assets and any associated debt to be formally transferred to the new entity,’’ Mr Dobbie said. 

It means future investment, after July 1 next year, will the responsibility of the new CCO. 

The council has a self-imposed debt ceiling of 175 percent of income to debt. 

With an anticipated income of $64.1m for the 2025/26 financial year, it means a debt limit of $112.2m.

This year’s annual plan predicts the debt will rise to $109.5m by June 30 next year, but a large chunk of this debt is for water services infrastructure and will pass to the new CCO. 

The Hurunui district will have elections for the west ward (five candidates for four positions), the south ward (nine candidates for four positions), and the newly formed South Ward Community Board (seven candidates for five positions). 

Elections are not required for mayor, the east ward, the Hanmer Springs Community Board or the Cheviot Licensing Trust. 

-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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