Large rate rises proposed for Hurunui
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Hurunui ratepayers can expect hefty rate rises over the next two years.
Average rate rises of 12.41% for this year and 14.14% for next year (2025-26) have been signalled in the Hurunui District Council’s draft long-term plan (LTP).
Speaking at an extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday, chief financial officer Jason Beck said he expected the rates rise to drop below 5% in 2026-27.
He said the proposed rate rises are in line with other councils and reflected the significant cost increases and impacts of regulatory changes the council faced.
The council was also continuing to upgrade its three waters infrastructure over the next two years.
Deputy mayor Vince Daly questioned whether ‘‘rates smoothing’’ could be introduced to spread the impact of rate increases over the next three years.
‘‘A lot of people are on fixed incomes, so I think we need to look at balancing it out instead of having two big rate increases and then going under 5%.’’
Beck said some form of ‘‘rates smoothing’’ was possible by spreading out debt repayments.
‘‘It can be done. It doesn’t move the cost, but it moves the funding of the cost from the rates in year one out to years two and three.’’
Chief executive Hamish Dobbie said he was not in favour of ‘‘rates smoothing’’.
‘‘We’ve done it before and something else always happens and we end up having to push the rates up to cover extra debt.’’
An expenditure of $368.6 million was proposed over the next 10 years, with roading ($160.8m) the biggest expense, followed by three waters ($142.6m) and other capital expenditure including the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa ($65.2m).
Beck said funding social housing was also proving to be a headache.
The initial budget allowed for a 10% yearly rent increase, but this was found to be unsustainable and has been reduced to 5%.
Social housing ownership will be reviewed as part of the LLT consultation document.
‘‘We have a social conscience, so we want to have the provision of social housing, but we need to look at what our long term commitment is,’’ mayor Marie Black said.
The council’s debt level was expected to peak at $142m in 2030-31, before dropping back to $116m in 2033-34.
This equates to a debt to revenue ratio of as high as 161.29%, so is dependant on a change in the Treasury policy which limits it to 125%, Beck said.
The council will meet again on March 26 to adopt the draft LTP for consultation.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
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