Long Term Plan 2015-2025

Our final Long Term Plan 2015-2025 was adopted on 16 June 2015.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to put forward their views and help us shape this important plan.

Key decisions

Below are council’s decisions on the key issues we asked for public feedback on.

General rates increase of 5% ($8.70 on average) 

Maintaining our existing levels of service would require no rates increase. However, to fund several important new initiatives (mostly relating to improved environmental management), targeted region-wide rates will rise by 5% in the coming year. 

New Whāngārei Heads pest management rate

A new rate of $50 a year will be paid by properties in the Whāngārei Heads area.  This will help ensure that the successful community-led pest management programme is able to continue.

New $900,000 contestable fund for emergency services 

This replaces the existing rescue helicopter rate and all other funding from Northland’s councils for similar services. As demand for funding will likely be higher than what was proposed (an $800,000 fund at $10.68 per household per year), the fund's size has increased to $900,000 a year, or $11.80 per household.

No change to policy on buying land

Transparency and public accountability is important, so the existing requirement for public consultation on non-commercial land purchases over $700,000 will be retained.

Green-light for flood protection proposals

Decisions on four major flood risk reduction schemes are as follows.

  • Proceed with $700,000 spillway improvements for Awanui scheme, paid for through increasing the existing local river rate by about 45%. 
  • Increase the Whāngārei Urban Rivers Rate by around 40%, to cover cost increases for construction of the Kotuku detention dam.
  • Construct a $2.13M spillway on the Kerikeri River to reduce flooding on properties downstream of SH10, funded by an annual rate of $80.04 per property in the affected area.  
  • Postpone Kaeo-Whangaroa scheme’s Stage Two works so Stage One can be fully monitored and assessed before further decisions are made.

Mid-North bus service trial to proceed

The trial is expected to commence in mid-2016 and will be funded by a new targeted rate (to start from 2016/17) on properties near the route. Prior to starting the trial, the route and targeted rating area will be refined in consultation with affected communities.