Council Adopts Annual Plan with 5.2% Rates Increase
Waimate District Council has adopted its 2026/27 Annual Plan, confirming an overall rates increase of 5.2% while balancing affordability for ratepayers with the need to deliver essential services, meet new regulatory requirements, and ensure long-term resilience.
The Annual Plan was adopted at an Extraordinary Council Meeting on 30 June 2026. At the meeting Council also approved the unbalanced budget and set the rates and rates penalties for the 2026/27 financial year.
Of the overall 5.2% increase, 4.2% relates to three water services: drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater. This includes one-off and ongoing costs to establish an internal water services business unit, which is required to meet new national regulatory and compliance obligations. These services are heavily shaped by central government standards and require sustained investment to ensure public health, system resilience, and regulatory compliance.
The 5.2% increase represents the overall increase in rates revenue required by Council, rather than a fixed increase that applies to every property. Individual rates assessments will vary depending on the targeted rates that apply to a property, the services it receives, and changes in its capital value following the district-wide revaluation that is being applied for the 2026/27 rating year. Properties whose values have increased faster than the district average may experience a higher rates increase, while others may experience a lower increase.
The remaining 1% supports all other Council services, including roading, parks and reserves, community facilities, regulatory and corporate services, and the district’s four-bin kerbside waste collection and disposal service.
The Annual Plan forecasts an operating deficit of $1.6 million. This is largely due to funding roading capital expenditure rather than depreciation, partial funding of depreciation for some assets, timing differences in revenue, the use of reserves for specific expenditure, and rates smoothing.
While the Annual Plan largely maintains existing levels of service, it also reflects the impact of central government reform on councils. Staff time is increasingly being directed towards understanding, responding to and implementing reform across several fronts, including potential changes to the local government system and ongoing Resource Management Act reform. The costs of these reforms may be significant, and Council will continue to push for its fair share of funding so the burden does not fall unfairly on ratepayers.
Mayor Craig Rowley says, “Councillors and staff have worked hard to keep the rates increase as low as possible while still meeting Council’s responsibilities to the community.”
“We know any rates increase has an impact on households and businesses, particularly while cost-of-living pressures remain front of mind. This Annual Plan takes a balanced and responsible approach: investing in essential services and infrastructure, while continuing to look carefully at how we deliver value for money for our community.”
Click HERE to read the 2026/27 Annual Plan.
