At its meeting on Monday 30 June 2025, the Mayor and Councillors adopted the Annual Plan for 2025/26, which includes the annual budget and work programme.
This followed a series of workshops and meetings from January, in which Councillors worked through the Council’s budgets. Following those workshops Councillors also adopted key decisions as part of the Annual Plan at Council meetings on 25 March, 08 April and 17 June. These decisions included a more user pays approach for public toilets and excess water charges. The alternative to that would have been higher rates increases.
The overall rates increase for 2025/26 is 10.7%. This is slightly lower than the 10.8% signalled in year two of the Long-Term Plan 2024 – 2034.
Throughout this process the Mayor and Councillors have been conscious of the cost pressures on community members. Although costs across most council services have risen in line with inflation, the external costs for core services and infrastructure such roading, three waters and contracted maintenance services have risen at rates much greater in recent years. The final result is a difficult balance between delivering services to the community whilst finding ways to limit greater rates increases.
Copies of annual plan will be available on the MDC website and at Council offices in Fairlie and Twizel.