Proposed Annual Plan Consultation opens today

Published on 14 March 2023

We're putting together our Council's budgets, project and operational priorities for the 2023/24 financial year. We'd love to have your feedback on our proposed Rebuild and Recover Budget for 2023/24 - our Annual Plan for the year. 

Rebuild and Recover Budget 2023/24

With four severe weather events in the first six weeks of 2023, and costs for Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle likely to be around $40 million just to repair and rebuild our local roading alone, we’re having to make some tough calls in our upcoming Annual Plan about delaying, deferring or amending our planned infrastructure projects and cutting operational costs.

That’s why we’d like your feedback on our proposed budget for this coming financial year (1 July 2023 - 30 June 2024), so that our final Annual Plan reflects our community needs.

“A major focus is on repairing the extensive damage to our roading network to help keep our communities connected and accessible,” says our Mayor Len Salt. 

“We’re also coming out of a two-year COVID-19 period of lockdowns, all of which has exacerbated supply chain disruptions, labour market shortages and inflation increases, which has impacted our Council costs.

“Together we’re going to have to make some tough decisions about where and what we spend on, in the next 12 months. Please get involved and have your say."

An Annual Plan is produced in the two intervening years between each Long Term Plan and outlines any key changes our Council has made to what was forecast in the Long Term Plan. This states what we intend to achieve over the next financial year, how much it will cost, and how that cost will be funded (including the setting of rates for 2023/24). 

When can I provide my feedback?

The public review period runs from 14 March to 10 April 2023. Submissions close 4pm on Monday 10 April.

How can I provide feedback?

Please read our Annual Plan Consultation Document to see what we're proposing, and fill out the online submission form at tcdc.govt.nz/annualplan2023. Hard copies will shortly be available at our Council service centres and district libraries. Staff there will be able to help you make your submission if you need assistance.

What are we consulting on?

We’d like to hear your thoughts on:

• Our proposed average rates for 2023/24
• Storm recovery and how it has affected our budgets
• Deferring the Pollen Street Infrastructure project to help our businesses recover
• Our updated capital works (CAPEX) and operational (OPEX) programmes, which are making room in our budget for storm events we’ve not yet costed
• Kerbside collection pricing options for our new rubbish wheelie bins and food waste bins
• Changes to our schedule of fees and charges

Your rates

In our 2021-2031 LTP we had forecast a 7.7 per cent average rates increase for the district this coming year. This was consulted on and adopted by Council in 2021. Since then, we’ve seen interest rate increases, project and contract cost escalations and now we face the ongoing costs to rebuild and recover. Right now, we’re signalling a proposed district average rates increase of 11.4 per cent. 

However, average rate increases vary for a number of reasons, including the area and property type you have. For example, the median rates increase proposed for residential properties in Whangamatā is 11.8 per cent and for Mercury Bay 14 per cent, whereas the average rates increase across all ratepayers in those wards is 10 per cent and 12.4 per cent respectively.

Read our proposals and make a submission

For supporting information, to make a submission and to read the full proposals in our Annual Plan Consultation Document, please visit tcdc.govt.nz/annualplan2023.

What’s happening next?