Earlier projections of a 15.1 percent average rates increase for 2024/2025 have dropped following Kaipara District Council Long Term Plan (LTP) deliberations.

In all-day deliberations earlier this month, elected members discussed the specific topics that had been consulted on with the community, as well as a range of other decisions to help set the direction for the Council for the next three years. As a result, the rates increase has dropped to around 11 percent on average, with other decisions agreed in the meeting expected to bring it down even further.

Kaipara District Mayor Craig Jepson said that he was pleased with the direction for rates increases.

“As signalled earlier in this process, Council and staff have done a lot of work since formal consultation to make further savings and efficiencies in our work programmes and budgets. This has borne out with the lower projected rates increase.” 

As part of the discussion on affordable rates, Council agreed to finalise an increase of around 11 percent on average. Later on in the deliberations, Council agreed to further reductions such as reallocating some capital and operational roading works to later years, which staff will need to recalculate – but is projected to further reduce the rates increase. Council receives funding from New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for its roading activities. Confirmed amounts for this funding may also impact the final rates.

“Every bit counts. We are still working through final numbers but I’m pleased to say that with these decisions we expect the final figures landed on will result in a rates rise of around 9 percent.”

Some of the decisions that were made as part of the deliberations

• Noted the feedback on community hubs for Dargaville and Mangawhai functions and facilities, and Urlich Park (Moir Street Reserve). Council agreed to allocate $200,000 from reserve contributions to complete a plan for Urlich Park in 2024/2025.
• Agreed not to allocate any funds on a dedicated climate resilience programme. This decision has no impact on rates or debt.
• That a uniform targeted rate per rateable property paying a UAGC (Uniform Annual General Rate), for libraries and parks be introduced for the 2024/2025 financial year, with the final amount to be determined once all the costs are allocated. This means that everyone will pay the same amount, rather than an amount based on land value or on location.
• Council also agreed not to collect targeted rates on behalf of the Mangawhai Museum or Dargaville Sportsville. Instead, staff will investigate potential future funding support for the Mangawhai Museum, Kauri Museum and Dargaville Museum as part of the 2025/2026 Annual Plan process.
• That $1 million of the Dargaville to Te Kopuru stopbank project be funded from debt and included in the LTP 2024–2027 in order to meet co-funding requirements of the Before the Deluge external funds provided by central government.

The unconfirmed minutes including details of all decisions can be found on the Kaipara District Council website.

Kaipara District Council is scheduled to adopt the Long Term Plan 2024–2027 in late July. In the same meeting rates are to be set for the next financial year 2024/2025.

The Council LTP deliberations can be viewed on the Kaipara District Council YouTube channel.