Invercargill City Council is calling for the community to share their views on its plans for the year ahead, with public consultation on the Draft Annual Plan 2025/2026 now open.
The Draft Annual Plan 2025/2026 outlines the projects and day-to-day services on Council’s books for the next financial year, as well as how much it expects these to cost, and how it plans to finance them.
Key topics outlined as part of the draft plan include changes to fees and charges – including public transport fares, and commercial water rates – Urban Play, and Council’s preferred water service delivery option, as required by central Government’s Local Water Done Well legislation.
Finance and Policy Committee chair, Councillor Lesley Soper, said Council had faced a changing economic and regulatory environment.
“A number of factors have contributed to times being a lot tougher. Inflation, insurance, interest rates and the Government’s water reforms have all had a significant impact on the world in which we live. Unfortunately, Council is no exception,” she said.
“We have worked hard to look for ways to save money, without eroding the infrastructure and services our community depends on. It’s a huge task, and the decisions Council has suggested we make – for example, closing the Wachner Place toilets – are not ones we take lightly. It is a fine balancing act to try and get things right.”
The Government had overhauled legislation governing water service delivery nationwide, in a bid to ensure these were financially sustainable and effectively managed in the future. The raft of legislative changes will see this infrastructure transition to operate similarly to an independent utility business, and would impact all local Councils throughout New Zealand.
Council Group Manager Finance and Assurance Patricia Christie said under the new water reforms, Council was required to manage its water service separately. As a result, that meant there were two rates increases to be aware of for 2025/2026: first, the average waters-related rates increase was proposed to be 20.46 percent, and secondly, the proposed average rates increase for non-water related rates was 3.67 percent.
“This means the overall average rates increase, for people who receive three waters services, is proposed to be 9.47 percent. Actual rates will differ for ratepayers, depending on the Council services they receive,” she said.
Mayor Nobby Clark said it was crucial people shared their views on the Draft Annual Plan.
“The decisions made by Council have a real impact on our community,” he said.
“What Council prioritises, in terms of the services it provides and the infrastructure it invests in, affects us all – from families, to businesses, pensioners, and beyond. It is absolutely vital that we hear from people across all walks of life when it comes to what they want to see in their city’s future. I’d strongly encourage everybody to read the Consultation Document, make a submission, and make your voice heard during this process. This is about making choices that shape the community you call home.”
For more information, to view the Consultation Document and supporting information, or to make a submission, click here.
Supporting information and documents, as well as submission forms, are also available at Te Hīnaki Civic Building, Invercargill City Libraries and Archives, Murihiku Marae, and the Bluff Service Centre.
Consultation will close on 13 April. Hearings will take place throughout April, with Council’s elected members set to deliberate on the draft plan in May. The Annual Plan 2025/2026 will then go up for adoption in June.
