Hutt City Council has signed off its Pūrongo ā-Tau Annual Report 2024-25.

The report reflects achievements in the first year of Council’s 10-year Plan 2024-34. It also marks the final Annual Report under the leadership of outgoing Mayor Campbell Barry.

Council confronted significant headwinds in the year ending 30 June 2024. Rising costs and financial pressure placed strain on budgets, especially as we sought to respond to ageing infrastructure.

We delivered $146 million in capital investment, most of which was invested in water and transport, while also pushing ahead with major projects necessary for the future resilience of the city.

Significant savings within Council budgets were also found as we look to optimise performance for ratepayers.

Mayor Campbell Barry says "This Annual Report shows what can be achieved when a Council is focused, disciplined, and committed to delivering for its people.

"We’ve made the big calls, securing funding for RiverLink, pushing ahead with infrastructure upgrades, and opening new community facilities. All while keeping a close eye on affordability.

"It’s been a challenging year financially, but we haven’t let that stop us from making progress."

Council Chief Executive Jo Miller says the Annual Report 2024-25 clearly shows what can be achieved when the focus is on delivering for the community, even in challenging economic times.

Major decisions and milestones include:

• Confirmed funding for the $1.5 billion Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi (RiverLink) project, the region’s largest infrastructure project since Transmission Gully.
• Agreement to establish a new jointly owned water services entity with Greater Wellington Regional Council and Wellington, Porirua and Upper Hutt city councils from 1 July 2026. It’s projected to be 30% more efficient than the current Wellington Water Ltd model.
• Renewed 9.4km of water pipes and fixed more than 2,500 leaks on the public network.
• Community facilities opened including Te Ngaengae Pool + Fitness in Naenae which is Aotearoa’s first aquatic facility to achieve a Green Star Five sustainability rating. The new Moerā Neighbourhood Hub was also opened, with daily visitor numbers doubling those of the previous year.
• The Tupua Horo Nuku project to strengthen Marine Drive and create a new shared path around the Eastern bays reached its halfway point.

The Annual Report 2024-25 is available to read here.

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