Annual Plan 2022/2023

Welcome to Horowhenua District Council's 2022/2023 Annual Plan, adopted by Council on 29 June 2022. The Annual Plan identifies the services and projects we plan to deliver in the 2022/2023 financial year, and also sets out Council’s budget and rates for the year.

This Annual Plan corresponds to year 2 of the Long Term Plan (LTP) 2021-2041; the document which sets Council’s strategic direction and budget for the next 20 years.

We were guided by feedback from our community as we developed the LTP. We heard how important it was to you to have quality infrastructure, a resilient water supply and ensure growth is offset by those moving to our district. As Horowhenua continues to experience unprecedented growth, one of our key priorities remains investing in the core infrastructure – whether that is building it new, upgrading, or improving the maintenance of the service. We remain committed to that, which is why we are closely following what was agreed upon for year 2 of the LTP.

The year ahead

Through the Annual Plan 2022/2023, Council is prioritising projects to improve infrastructure and optimise development opportunities within our district without compromising on wellbeing initiatives that are crucial to supporting a thriving community.

We’ve put together a two-page summary to give you a quick overview of what your rates are spent on and key projects we’ll progress during the year.

The full document, as well as the summary, can be viewed below:

2022/2023 Annual Plan(PDF, 6MB)
2022/2023 Annual Plan Summary(PDF, 231KB)

FAQs

Will my rates increase by 7.0%?

Council’s income from rates is increasing by 7.0% for this financial year. This does not mean your rates will increase by exactly 7.0% as your rates are determined by where you live, the services you receive and the valuation of your property.

Why are my rates increasing?

We are committed to managing our finances well on behalf of the community while still providing great services and delivering important projects. A large portion of Council’s income comes from rates. Without a rates income increase, we will not be able to deliver everything we need to, to ensure our district remains a great place to live. Our focus continues to be on operating as efficiently as possible to ensure our communities rates are going towards the things that count. We are pleased to know that we are delivering on this, with the fourth lowest operating spending per ratepayer amongst all New Zealand councils (2021 Ratepayers Report, New Zealand Taxpayers Union).

What are my rates spent on?

Rates are spent on a number of projects and services across the district. You can view a breakdown of what your rates pay for in the two-page summary above.

What was the General Rate increase for 2022/2023?

This rate is calculated on the Land Value of the property.

The General Rate decreased by 2.26% for the 2022/2022 year. This is due to cost savings in the areas funded by the general rate. This decrease is likely to result in lower increases for those properties that do not have services such as Water, Wastewater or Stormwater.

What was the Roading Rate increase for 2022/2023?

This rate funds the maintenance of roads, streets, roadside signage, road marking, bridges, footpaths and roadside drainage.

This rate is calculated on the Capital Value of the property.

The roading rate increased by 31.79%. This was due to additional depreciation expense due to the revaluation of the roading network and an increase in maintenance expenditure.

What was the Stormwater Rate increase for 2022/2023?

This rate is calculated on the property's Capital Value and applied to all urban properties within the district.

The stormwater rate increased by 24.02%. This was due to additional depreciation funding due to the revaluation of the stormwater network and increased maintenance costs.

What was the Library & Community Centres Rate increase for 2022/2023?

This rate funds the costs associated with library and community centre activities.

The rate is fixed based on the number of SUIPs (separately used or inhabited part) per rating unit.

There was a 2.31% decrease in this rate for 2022/2023. This was due to lower operating expenditure and additional grant funding received.

What was the Representation and Community Leadership Rate increase for 2022/2023?

This rate funds the costs associated with the Representation and Community Leadership activity.

The rate is fixed based on the number of SUIPs (separately used or inhabited part) per rating unit.

There was a 10.70% increase in this rate, and this was due to additional expenditure on this activity.

What was the Solid Waste Rate increase for 2022/2023?

This rate funds all the Solid Waste activities, Landfill, Recycling and Waste Transfer stations.

The rate is fixed based on the number of SUIPs (separately used or inhabited part) per rating unit.

Rural rating units pay 20% of the costs, and Urban rating units pay 80%

There was a 26.89% increase in this rate. This was due to increased costs and reduced income in the landfill activity due to waste being sent to the Bonny Glen landfill.

What was the Aquatic Solid Waste Rate increase for 2022/2023?

This rate funds the costs associated with the Aquatic Centre (swimming pool) activity.

The rate is fixed based on the number of SUIPs (separately used or inhabited part) per rating unit.

There was a 5.41% increase in this rate. This is due to an increase in operational costs.

What was the Wastewater Rate increase for 2022/2023?

This rate funds the provision of wastewater (sewer) services to all rating units connected to this service.

The rate is fixed based on the number of SUIPs (separately used or inhabited part) per rating unit.

For those properties that are not connected to the wastewater supply but within 30 metres of a trunkmain there is an availability charge. This is set at 50% of the fixed charge.

There was a 10.66% increase in this rate. This was due to increases in finance costs, depreciation and maintenance costs.

What was the Water Rate increase for 2022/2023?

This rate funds the provision of water services to all rating units that receive this service.

The rate is fixed based on the number of SUIPs (separately used or inhabited part) per rating unit.

For those properties that are not connected to the water supply but within 100 metres of a trunk main there is an availability charge. This is set at 50% of the fixed charge.

There was a 6.11% increase in this rate, and this was due to an increase in depreciation and a small increase in maintenance costs.