Council has adopted its Annual Plan for 2025-26 and set new rates, and fees and charges, for the financial year beginning 1 July.

Mayor Neil Brown said the focus remained on the continued smooth running of core services like drinking water, wastewater, roads and rubbish collection.

“Our goal is to reliably deliver these services every day of the year and that takes dedicated effort. These are fundamental services for our district and the basis for community and business life.”

The Annual Plan and budget sets out the services and projects Council will carry out in the next 12 months and rates will rise on average by 7.3 per cent, to get the work done.

Looking after infrastructure, assets and facilities with a combined worth of $1.07 billion is a large job and the cost of running our day-to-day operations is budgeted to be $70.2 million. Capital expenditure is used to renew or upgrade existing assets, or build new ones, and this is budgeted to be $36.3 million.

Council borrows to fund these upgrades and at the end of the 2025-26 year, our debt is projected to be $166 million.

Key core work in the coming year includes:

• Drinking water and wastewater renewals and new work - $13.7 million (including watermain renewals at Rakaia, and new/relined wastewater pipes in Ashburton and Methven)
• Community grants - $1.2 million
• Roads and footpaths – $24 million (including $705,000 to renovate the heritage rail footbridge in Ashburton)

Mayor Brown said Council collected a variety of general and targeted rates to cover the cost of operating expenditure. Fees and charges also applied to some services and most of these had risen by 2.5%, from dog registration to building fees and the price of a swim at EA Networks Centre.

“Everyone’s rates are different, depending on where you live, the value of your property and the services you receive. Councillors have carefully considered this budget knowing the cost-of-living pressures we are all under, like the rising price of insurance and electricity.”

Papers copies of the Annual Plan will be available from next at Council's Customer Service desk, and online.

Projects

SECOND BRIDGE

Council has signed an agreement with NZ Transport Agency, who will project manage the design and construction of a bridge over the Ashburton River, off the end of Chalmers Avenue, and a new road that will connect with Grahams Road, in Tinwald. Council will fund the cost of the new road, and talk with the community about how to fund it once the tender process is complete.

GREEN BINS

Council will begin kerbside collection of food and green waste from September 2026. To prepare for this, we are constructing a consolidation bunker this year that will temporarily store the collected waste before processing - $564,000 is in the budget for this work.

PLAYGROUND

We have been putting together plans for a reconfigured playground in the Ashburton Domain. We'll carry out this project across 2025-26, with $338,000 included in the budget to do this work.

WATERMAIN RENEWAL WORK

Ashburton – Chalmers Ave (Dobson St to Ashburton River), Grove Street (Carters Tce to Wilkins Rd), Archibald Street (Graham St to Hassal St), Mason Place, Philip Street (Oak Gr to Grigg St), Tancred Street (William St to Chalmers Ave).

Methven – Methven water supply raw water trunkmain (Longs Ford Rd and Ashburton River Rd), Spaxton Street (Carr St to Main St), Lilley Place, MacPhail Place, Farquhar Place, Talbot Place.

Rakaia – Elizabeth Avenue (Railway Tce East to Burrowes Rd, and Cridland St to Railway Tce West), Railway Terrace West (Bowen St to Michael St).

District-wide – Fairfield Avenue, David Street, Taverners Road (Stanley Rd to 438 Taverners Rd).

How will this affect my rates?