Fit for the Future

WHAT WILL IT COST?

TOPIC SUMMARIES

2025-34 LONG TERM PLAn

What will it mean for rates and what do you get for your money?

How do we protect our assets in a changing climate?

How much water is actually enough?

WHAT’s OUR PLAN FOR WATER?

Are there better ways to boost growth & Penguins?

what property are we willing to sell?

District-wide water metering

Water Services Delivery

Beach Road and coastal erosion

Tourism Waitaki & the Penguin Colony

Who should cover the housing shortfall?

Do you really need that community hall?

What about ‘AirBNB’ ACCOM-MODATION?

what else are we planning?

Changes to fees & charges 2025-26

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The big projects over the next 9 years

Reviewing Council Housing

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What's our plan for water?

why should you care?

We're facing some astronomical costs to get our Water systems up to scratch and fit for the future. Water services - (water supply, stormwater and wastewater) - currently make up nearly 1/3 of the average residential rates bill*. If we can’t afford to maintain and upgrade systems to meet consumer demand and ever-changing government standards, we’ll be (literally) in the poo.

Water relief? Is a seperate Water Services Company the answer? Stricter national standards, the cost of replacing century old pipes, and renewing resource consents for our water and wastewater treatment plants mean we can’t maintain a safe and reliable network without spending big. Setting up a separate company that could join with other councils to share resources and boost buying power would help keep water services more affordable. We're looking at two options:

Set up an independent Water Services Company (WSC)

OPTION A

*in Ōamaru as an example

Status Quo - keep water services in Council

OPTION b

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HoW MUCH water is enough?

why should you care?

Places that use water meters have shown savings in water use on average of 25% a year. District-wide water metering is a fairer way to charge for water, help find costly water leaks, and reduce pressure on our water supply and infrastructure. The more water that’s saved, the less money we’ll need to spend on upgrading the capacity of our infrastructure. A user-pays system means low water users aren’t paying more in their rates to cover high water users.

District-wide water metering is a way to reduce the pressure on our water supply, helping to slow the rise in costs, and make the way that people are charged for water fairer. Metering water means: less wasted water, less money spent by households overall, and less money needed to invest in water capacity infrastructure. Some places, like Kurow already have water meters, as do large commercial users and some rural properties. We're looking at two options:

Status Quo - change nothing. Some people in the district are metered, some aren't.

OPTION A

District-wide water metering

OPTION b

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HOW DO WE PROTECTcritical Assets IN a CHANGING CLIMATE?

why should you care?

As we plan for the next decade, it’s crucial we act now to protect our water, wastewater, stormwater, and roading systems from future climate impacts. There are some big issues facing us right now, like the ocean swallowing up the Orwell Street Sewer Pumpstation and Beach Road. With costs of ongoing protection or managed retreat running into the tens of millions, we need to prioritise what assets we can save – and what we may have to abandon.

Changing climate, increasing weather events, rising sea levels and coastal erosion are threatening some of our valuable infrastructure. Big sections of Beach Road Ōamaru are already at risk of falling into the sea. Realigning and rock-armouring the road would be an ongoing cost to ratepayers. We're looking at three options:

OPTION A

Realign Beach Road into a new position.

OPTION b

Close Beach Road to vehicles

OPTION c

Close Beach Road north to Awamoa Rd and realign the intersection

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Are there better ways to boost growth and penguins?

why should you care?

An independent agency focused on the whole economy could work better with local communities to spearhead key development projects. Right now, Tourism Waitaki is a Council Owned Company (CCO) just focused on marketing to visitors. We think the Ōamaru Blue Penguin Colony should be able to focus on what they do best: conservation, scientific research, education and sharing Waitaki’s wildife with the world.

We’re proposing two key initiatives to drive growth: a new Economic Development Agency (EDA) and a stand-alone organisation for the Ōamaru Blue Penguin Colony. We're looking at two options:

OPTION A

Status Quo - the Penguin Colony continues to be managed by Tourism Waitaki.

OPTION b

Transform Tourism Waitaki into an independant Economic Development Agency and create a stand-alone Council Company (CCO) for the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony .

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WHAT PROPERTY ARE WE WILLING TO seLL?

why should you care?

Some Council property is costing us (and you) money. Costs for maintenance and rates on the property we own are only going to go up. We need you to tell us if you’d be happy for us to start testing the market for sale. And there may be some properties you think we really shouldn't sell. We won't know unless you tell us.

Waitaki is a small community looking after over $1.3 billion worth of total land and assets. We’ve identified over $6 million worth of properties that could be sold. By selling properties, we can reduce maintenance costs, lower debt, and invest in more profitable assets, benefiting ratepayers and our communities. We're looking at two options:

OPTION A

Status Quo - Don't sell any property

OPTION b

Test the market

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DO YOU REALLY NEED THAT COMMUNITY HALL?

why should you care?

If you love your Community Hall the way it is, and want to keep using it, you need to let us know. But if your local hall is no longer benefitting your community, it could be sold to remove the charge on ratepayers, and the onus of maintenance from your Hall Committee. Proceeds from a sale would go directly back into your community.

Residents in each area pay rates towards maintaining their local Community Hall, and a local Hall Committee has the job (or burden) of looking after it. There are 29 Community Halls across Waitaki. Some are well used, some are not. Some are owned by Council but most are owned by the community. In some cases these halls are getting too expensive to keep up, with ever-increasing costs of insurance, electricity and maintenance, and ever-decreasing hire income. Plus, national rules for committees are getting stricter, and meeting these rules is more demanding on Hall Committee members.

Do you think your local hall could benefit your community more by being sold or repurposed?

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WHO should COVER THE HOUSING SHORTFALL?

why should you care?

Council housing is subsidised by rates. We want to support affordable housing in our district. Yet without government funding and with ageing properties, we face tough choices ahead. As we explore ways to sustain this vital service—like adjusting rental rates or transferring management—we need your input to decide if social housing should remain a priority for Council.

We’re taking a hard look at the housing shortage in our district and considering our role in providing council housing now and in the future. Council owns 91 housing units in Ōamaru, Palmerston, and Hampden, mostly for people over 60 who can’t afford other places. This is a valued service and we want to look at how we deliver it sustainably.

What role should Council play in supporting Council housing?

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What about ‘AirBNB’ ACCOMMODATION?

why should you care?

If you are a commercial accommodation business or rent your property out to visitors privately, this topic impacts you. But it impacts the wider district as well. We need to get the balance right to make sure there’s enough accommodation for people living and working in Waitaki.

There are a lot of holiday rentals like Airbnbs and Bookabach in Waitaki, which bring visitors and visitor dollars into the district. However, their popularity impacts traditional commercial accommodation businesses like motels and hotels, and also reduces the availability of long-term rentals for individuals and families moving to Waitaki. We’re looking at the idea of a potential “commercial fee” for short-term holiday let owners to make sure traditional accommodation outlets and people needing housing aren’t missing out.

Should Council charge a commercial fee on properties used for private holiday accommodation?

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WHAT ELSE are we PLANning?

why should you care?

We’ve worked hard on constraining budgets and stripping back programmes of work, but at the moment, we’re still looking at an average rates rise of 10.3% in 2025/26. But this can change! Public Consultation on this Long Term Plan is open now. There are over 120 proposals for projects in this Long term Plan. Don't miss your chance to give feedback on what we're proposing to do over the next nine years, and share your views on what we should be focusing on.

Our projects and proposals list accounts for around $418 million dollars of investment over the next nine years of this Long Term Plan. The choices we make now will affect the things we’re able to provide in the future. And how much you’ll pay.

What do you think of the projects and programmes of work we are planning. Have we got the balance right?

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CHANGES TO FEES &CHARGES 2025-26

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We review our fees and charges each year. We try to get the balance right between user-pays, covering costs and what's payed for through rates. These are the main activities where fees are proposed to change from 1 July 2025.

What do you think about our proposed fees & charges?

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What will it cost?

In the draft plan, the average rate increase across the district is

We’ve chosen a sample range to show how the proposed rates changes might impact property owners in the first year of this plan. (these are examples only!) What you pay will vary depending on the location of your property and whether it’s residential, commercial or agricultural.

proposed rates changes

10.3%

an extra

an extra

an extra

an extra

an extra

palmerston

Kakanui

KUROW

Herbert

HAMPDEN

$0.45

$0.35

$0.47

$0.54

$0.73

per day

per day

per day

per day

per day

$3.76

$5.14

$3.30

$2.47

$3.03

per week

per week

per week

per week

per week

(CV $460,000)

(CV $420,000)

(CV $420,000)

(CV $670,000)

(CV $465,000)

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an extra

Waihemo

$3.07

per day

$21.50

per week

(CV $2,180,000)

AGRICULTURAL

an extra

OAMARU

$0.86

per day

$6.00

per week

(CV $591,429)

There are four parts to your rates. The General Rate (base rate calculated using your property's QV land value), a Roading Rate (to fund the roading network calculated from your property's Capital Value), a Uniform Annual General Charge (a set charge on all rateable properties) and Targeted Rates which varies depending on where in the district live and what services and facilities you have access to).

an extra

OAMARU

$1.17

per day

$8.23

per week

(CV $540,000)

COMMERCIAL

an extra

ahuriri

$12.74

per day

$89.16

per week

(CV $9,720,000)

AGRICULTURAL

an extra

corriedale

$6.50

per day

$45.49

per week

(CV $5,490,000)

AGRICULTURAL

an extra

omarama

$0.48

per day

$3.39

per week

(CV $490,000)

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What do you get?

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What do you get?

$50-$70

Power & internet

per week

$200 -$500

Groceries

per week

$400

Taxes

per week

bang for your buck?

or breaking the bank?

$30-$80

Petrol

per week

How does what you pay for rates compare to other average household costs?

$63.80

Rates

per week average residential

what does that get you?

per-week

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What do you get?

gets you

per-week

Total rates per-week per-property (average)

Does not apply to every ratepayer! Some will pay more, and some less, depending on location and property value.

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DOLLARS & SENSE

Total rates per-week per-property (average)

Does not apply to every ratepayer! Some will pay more, and some less, depending on location and property value.

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DOLLARS & SENSE

The gap between revenue coming in to Council, and how much it costs for what we need to do is widening.

Does not apply to every ratepayer! Some will pay more, and some less, depending on location and property value.

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MORE EXAMPLES

OPTION C: Close Beach road North to Awamoa Road and realign the intersection.

The estimated cost is $4,200,000 (debt-funded over 30 years), made up of Road Cost: $353,000 and Rock Armouring: $3,847,000.Approximately 0.63% (or $23.41) additional rates requirement per-ratepayer per-year to finance the $4,200,000 loan. When complete, this option is projected to cost $30k less in annual maintenance and depreciation which will help offset the costs of repaying the loan.

Close a section of Beach Road North, reinstating the connection between Kakanui Beach Reserve and Awamoa Road. Protect the 900m section of road from erosion with rock armouring in the same manner as Option A.

OPTION A: Set up an independent Water Services Company.

An independent Water Services Company (WSC) would be set up. The ownership, maintenance, and delivery of Waitaki’s Water Supply, Stormwater, and Wastewater infrastructure and services would be transferred to the new company, as well as the cost and debt of these activities.

COST: The cost of Water Supply, Stormwater, and Wastewater activities will likely continue to rise but likely not as much and as rapidly, and they won’t be reflected in Council’s finances; the cost will be transferred to the new company.

OPTION A: Status Quo.

Keep Tourism Waitaki as a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) just focused on tourism, and managing our Penguin Colony.

COST: No additional cost to ratepayers and no changeto levels of service or debt.

OPTION B: Close Beach Road

This option would cost around $50,000 (debt funded over 10 years) in 2025/26 for establishment of a walking/cycling track and beautification.This section of road currently costs $41,700 per year in maintenance and depreciation. Closing the road to vehicles means ratepayers would no longer need to cover the costs of maintaining the road but would need to pay around an extra $0.53 cents rates each year to cover the $50,000 loan.

Beach Road along the coast, almost to Gardiners Rd, will be closed permanently to vehicles. Traffic to Kakanui would have to use Stonewall Road into Thousand Acre Road. A shared path could be constructed to continue to provide non-vehicular access as conditions allow. Rock armouring wouldn't be needed.

OPTION A: Realign Beach Road

Realign the road in a new position, around the holes created by Project Reclaim and install 42,000m­­³ of rock armouring to protect the 2.8km stretch of coastline for now.

Estimated cost is $12,650,000 (debt-funded over 30 years), made up of Road Cost: $720,000 and Rock Armouring: $11,930,000. Approximately 1.89% (or $70.52) extra rates requirement per-ratepayer per-year to finance the $12,650,000 loan.

QUESTION: What do you think of the projects and initiatives we are proposing? Have we got the balance right?

Click the button below to find the full list of proposed projects and how much they'll cost.

Draft projects & initiatives list

QUESTIONS:

QUESTION1: Do you think Council should continue providing council housing units? QUESTION 2: Do you think ratepayers should subsidise the cost of Council’s housing units? QUESTION 3: If Council continued to provide the housing units, what do you think is an acceptable amount for each ratepayer to contribute per year?

OPTION B: District-wide Water metering

Water Supply, Stormwater, and Wastewater infrastructure and services would continue to be owned, maintained, and delivered by Council. The costs would remain on Council’s books.

COST: (Forecast) Residential properties will have water meters installed and ratepayers will be paying for what they actually use day-to-day. It is anticipated water metering will reduce the need for capacity increases in our infrastructure. This could defer around $50 million in capital spending.

OPTION B: Test the market for sale

Test the market with a view to sell all or some of the properties (let us know if there are any you wouldn’t want to sell).

There's no cost to ratepayers for this option or changes, and a minor reduction in rates. Possible reduction in debt if money received from sales is used to pay back some debt. (The reduction of debt would depend on the value the assets are sold for).

See the full list of properties that could be sold

OPTION B: Transform Tourism Waitaki Ltd into an independent Economic Development Agency (EDA) and create a stand-alone Council company (CCO) for the Ōamaru Blue Penguin Colony (OBPC).

Repurposing Tourism Waitaki into an independent EDA means it could manage key economic projects as well as promote Waitaki as a destination. By removing the management layer of Tourism Waitaki and making the Penguin Colony its own separate agency, we can unlock focused investment to turn it into a premier visitor attraction, reinvesting profits for community, scientific, environmental and penguin benefit.

This option sees improved levels of service as a result of increased focus. No additional cost as the costs are offset against the current structure. No impact on rates or debt.

OPTION B: Status Quo

Water Supply, Stormwater, and Wastewater infrastructure and services would continue to be owned, maintained, and delivered by Council. The costs would remain on Council’s books.

COST: (Forecast) CAPEX (capital expenses) 2027-34: $163,328,529 OPEX (operational expenses) 2027-34: $71,384,894 That’s over $200 million.

OPTION A: Status Quo

Don’t sell any property. Leave it all alone. Continue to maintain and invest in the assets.

The cost of maintaining property will increase over time.

OPTION A: Set up an independant Water Services Company.

Residential properties in the district that don’t have water meters (most of us!) will keep paying a fixed base water rate based on average usage, rather than being charged for what they actually use.

COST: No additional cost in the short-term but continuing with the status quo may result in assets needing to be upgraded sooner than planned and new infrastructure will need to be designed much bigger and cost more to install.

QUESTION: Do you think Council should charge a commercial fee on properties used for private holiday accommodation?

Funds raised through fees would be used to support tourism and manage the impacts of visitor numbers on the district.

QUESTION: Let us know what you thing of our fees and charges and the changes we're proposing.

You can find a full list of the fees and charges for our services and facilities on our consultation page here (changes in red):

Fees & Charges

QUESTION: Do you think your local hall could benefit your community more by being sold or repurposed? Or do you want to tell us “Hands off! We love our hall”?

Let us know and we can work with your Hall Committee to find the best outcomes for your community.