Taupō District Council is calling for community feedback to help shape its plans and priorities for the next 12 months.

The draft Annual Plan 2023-24 is the third year of the council's Long-term Plan. It details the activities the council intends to carry out over the coming financial year, how much these activities will cost and how they will be funded.

Due to inflation and rising costs across the board the council has no option but to increase in rates in 2023-24, although it has worked hard to keep the increase as low as possible.

If the draft Annual Plan is adopted, the result is a proposed average rates increase of 8.6 per cent in the 2023-24 year.

Mayor David Trewavas says the council is acutely aware that the community is facing a cost of living crisis, grappling with soaring inflation, and rising interest costs.

“There is no denying that for all of us – council as well as our community – these are difficult economic times and challenges lie ahead in the upcoming financial year,” he says.

“Costs have increased across all of Council’s business. With that in mind, we have tried our best to balance affordability for you, our community, with maintaining the levels of service and investment that our district needs to thrive.

“We have done everything we can to keep rates as low as we can.”

Taupō District Council has a duty to the community to provide critical infrastructure, build community projects, and bring revenue into the region. However, these projects cost ratepayers hard-earned money.

Taupō District Council acting chief executive officer Julie Gardyne says given the financial strain already being felt by the region, the council is proposing a range of changes to its Long-term Plan to drive rates down as far as possible in 2023-24.

“We have looked at every single council operating cost and rationalised budgets as much as we can.

"We have also gone through our capital and community projects list to determine which projects are essential to deliver and whether they can realistically be delivered in the coming year.

“We realise the proposed rates increase is still a considerable change from what was originally projected in the Long-term Plan (3.74 per cent).

“Given that inflation is currently sitting at around 7 per cent, this rates increase is realistically the lowest figure we could get to in the economic climate, without drastic cuts to council’s levels of service.”

It’s important to note that the overall impact on individual ratepayers will vary. This is because some properties have increased in value more, or less, than the average across the district.

During the consultation period the community is being asked for its thoughts on two big questions: whether Council should invest in developing its East Urban Lands; and whether it should postpone some depreciation funding to reduce rates.

Over the next month, the council is seeking community feedback on the proposed changes, so that it can work with the community to keep rates affordable while maintaining the level of council service vital for the district.

Visit www.taupo.govt.nz/haveyoursay for more information. The Annual Plan consultation period runs from Friday 31 March to 4.30pm on Friday 28 April.

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