2023/2024 Annual Plan

The Annual Plan is Council's updated plans for the coming financial year, setting out the work we are planning to undertake in your community over the next 12 months (1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024). This Annual Plan is year three of the Long Term Plan 2021-31 (LTP).

Through this process we consider what was outlined in the Long Term Plan and assess what changes are needed to reflect current circumstances and community needs.

We consulted on several projects which have been introduced, or timing or funding has been changed:

• Improving pool access in Katikati
• Reserve Management Plan projects
  • Te Puke-Maketu Reserve Management Plan
  • Wilson Park, Waihī Beach
• Waihī Beach Library and Community Hub
• Te Puke Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Drinking water regulation changes
• Schedule of Fees and Charges 2023/24

Every year we review our schedule of fees and charges. This is to ensure that each charge recovers the costs associated with:

• Goods, services and amenities that Council provides
• Issuing and monitoring of permits, inspections and other approvals associated with council’s bylaws
• Processing and making decisions on resource consents, plan changes and designations, and fulfilling other regulatory obligations under other legislation that empowers Council to prescribe fees.

In this year’s review, Council needs to address rising costs caused by inflation. Inflation sits just below a three-decade high and everyday costs are increasing – highlighted by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) sitting at 7.2%. CPI measures the changing price of the goods and services New Zealand households buy, for example, bread and milk. It provides a measure of inflation. As a Council, we’re in a similar situation with the Local Government Cost Index (LGCI) ranging between 8.7% and 12.4%. Like CPI, LGCI measures the changing price of materials and services for local government activity - in other words it’s our own basket of goods for things like pipes and bitumen. Given these rising costs many of the fees and charges are proposed to increase by around 10%.

Council also reviews its Financial Contributions (FINCOs) and can agree to waivers/reductions through this annual review. FINCOs are charged against new developments to address the impacts that development will have. Generally, FINCOs are used to fund the additional infrastructure (e.g. water supply, wastewater network, stormwater, roads and reserves and facilities) that’s required to service new developments.

This year, we undertook property revaluations. We’re required to carry out a property revaluation at least every three years. This is done to gain a district-wide appraisal of property values to accurately assess the value of a property at a given time.The new valuations will be used for rating purposes from 1 July 2023.

A change in valuation does not necessarily relate to a change in rates for a property. This will only happen if the new value has increased or decreased more than the average for the District. Some valuations will go up, others will go down - some won’t change.

The 2023 valuation process was completed by independent valuation company Quotable Value (QV). The valuation process is audited by the Valuer-General.