The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is leading New Zealand's response to H5 bird flu (H5N1). You can help protect our native birdlife and local poultry by knowing what to do. If you see three or more sick or dead wild birds together, please don't touch or move them. Report them to MPI and follow the latest advice.
View H5 bird flu information and reporting guidance
Council has also seen costs rising: Inflation, rising interest rates, and escalating costs for essential needs like insurance and asset maintenance. This has left Council trying to balance the community’s aspirations with a financial reality that is challenging.
To put this in perspective, Council’s fixed costs for interest, depreciation, insurance and utilities alone account for 14% of the originally proposed average 17.4% rates increase.
The final average rates increase adopted by the Council is 16.6% and the actual rates increase varies depending on the location and value of your property and whether or not you receive water and wastewater services.