A quick guide to the Long Term Plan

The Council’s draft Long Term Plan is now out for feedback until Sunday 21 April.

If you want to hold your own in a discussion with a friend or family member about what the Draft Plan proposes, here’s your quick guide to the basics.

What is a Long Term Plan?
The Long Term Plan (LTP) outlines what the Council has planned for the next 10 years. It’s the Council's contract with the community. It sets out the services the Council will provide and major projects the Council will undertake, what they’ll cost, how they’ll be funded and what rates will need to be for the next 10 years. Every local council in New Zealand has to do one every three years.

How much money is the Council spending?
The Council is proposing a $16.8 billion budget over 10 years – $9.1 billion of that on the day-to-day services the Council provides like waste collection and libraries, and $6.5 billion of that on the Council’s programme of capital works, which will make sure it can do all the work it needs to do, and deliver it in the timeframe it's set.

It also means $226 million on road, footpath and cycleway renewals, and $480 million on renewing and upgrading our water networks, in the first three years.

How will this affect my rates?
For the average household, the Council is proposing a 12.4% rates increase, which comes to $8 a week. The proposed overall average for all properties, including business and rural, is 13.24%.

Is the Council making any savings?
The Council is making cost savings and adding revenue of $6 million in 2024/25. Over the whole 10 years, it's identified $41 million of operational cost savings and additional revenue, without affecting the current levels of service.

Making these savings is always a balancing act – it wants to keep providing the levels of service expected, while keeping rates affordable and giving the Council what it calls “debt headroom”, which means it can borrow comfortably in case there’s some unexpected event, like COVID-19.

How can I give feedback on this?
Your feedback will help shape this plan. Every LTP the Council make changes based on the feedback it receives, and this may mean adjustments to rates, debt and service levels.

Before you get back to feed back, take some time to read the consultation document and think about the Council's proposed plan. Has it got the balance between rates and spending right? Has it prioritised the right things? If not, what changes would you like to see?

Visit ccc.govt.nz/longtermplan to make your submission, or pop into your nearest library or service centre and ask for a form. You can also ring the Council on (03) 941 8999, provide your details and a good time for a call back, and a Council staff member will be in touch.