Annual Plan adopted for 2025/2026

Invercargill City Council has adopted its annual plan for the financial year ahead.

The Annual Plan 2025/2026 describes what has changed for Council delivery of services, infrastructure and projects since the time of the Long-term plan.

The annual plan was adopted at an extraordinary council meeting today.

Finance and Policy Committee chair, Councillor Lesley Soper, said the adoption of the Annual Plan 2025/2026 confirmed an overall average rates increase of 7.11 percent.

Under the Government’s water reforms, Local Water Done Well, all Councils were required to manage their water services separately. As a result, this meant there were two rates increases to be aware of for 2025/2026: first, the average waters-related rates increase was 14.04 percent, and secondly, the average non-water related rates increase was 3.44 percent. This meant the overall average combined rates increase, for people who receive three waters services, would be 7.11 percent for 2025/2026. Actual rates will differ for ratepayers, depending on the Council services they receive, Soper said.

“I want to thank everybody who took the time to prepare a submission to Council during the public consultation process,” she said.

“Elected members heard some strong, consistent feedback from our community throughout this process, and ultimately the decisions we have made were shaped by these. Invercargill City Council is operating in a challenging environment, with factors such as the introduction of significant legislative and regulatory changes, and a rising cost of living impacting our community. Our Council has worked to ensure our organisation was balancing fiscal prudence with maintaining the critical services and infrastructure our community told us were key priorities.”

Council received 495 submissions on its draft plan during the public consultation phase, which ran from 13 March to 13 April.