Regional council ECan proposes hefty rate rises
By reporter Keiller MacDuff:
Environment Canterbury (ECan) floated one of the largest proposed average rates rises in the country on Wednesday - more than 24% - a day after the Christchurch City Council adopted a draft proposal for a 13% rates rise.
Councils nationwide are proposing significant rises as interest rates bite and increasing severe weather calls for more resilience work.
ECan councillors voted 14:2 to adopt the consultation document for its long-term plan (LTP), which outlines the council's activities, services and finances for the next decade, with councillors Clair McKay and Deon Swiggs voting against the recommendation.
The plan will see ECan spend more than $340 million in the first year, a 26% increase on the $270m programme carried out in 2023-24.
The draft says the council gave “strong consideration“ to the financial pressures the community is facing, but previous decisions on flood management and public transport combined with high inflation meant just maintaining current work required a double digit increase.
The actual rating impact will differ depending on location and targeted rates, meaning the increase will be between 13% and 27%.
If the regional council’s preferred options are adopted, a Christchurch city ratepayer with a $820,000 property would pay $750 in the first year of the plan, while a $1.9m rural property in Hurunui faced a $1030 rates bill for 2024-25, and a $4.76m rural Ashburton property would pay $2681 in rates.
Of ECan's three core services - environmental regulation and protection, hazard preparedness and response, and public transport - the latter has the biggest cost.
The council’s preferred public transport option has a $160m price tag for the first year (a total of $542m over three years) and would see the Public Transport Futures programme improvements delivered within seven years, including upping core bus routes to ten minute frequencies or better by 2028, with average wait times of five minutes.
It also includes:
- More direct services to parts of Waimakariri and Selwyn, starting in 2026-27.
- A review of connector and local services by mid-2026, with improvements implemented by 2031.
- An additional Diamond Harbour ferry and refurbishment of the existing ferry.
- Improvements to the network, such as increasing capacity on crowded buses and small tweaks to routes or frequency
- Enhanced safety improvements, increased investment in reliability and the continued replacement of end-of-life diesel buses with new electric buses.
The option also includes funding to “explore opportunities” to improve transport to and from Te Kaha, on demand services in Greater Christchurch, and - long term - looking at asset ownership.
The document notes the region has “historically under-invested in public transport,” leading to low usage, and proposes “considerable investment.” But both the regional council and the auditor, whose report was also tabled, drew attention to the “high level of uncertainty” surrounding the government’s contribution.
The council’s preferred option for environmental regulation and protection would cost $135m for the LTP’s first year, and could sit alongside a targeted rate for additional biodiversity work in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.
The separate biodiversity rate works out at 72 cents per $100,000 capital value of rateable properties.
ECan’s preferred option for community preparedness and hazard response - $50.5m - includes a targeted rate for Selwyn residents for district-wide flood and river resilience work.
The targeted rate would cost $7.08 per rate paying property in the first year, $10.62 in the second year, and $14.16 in the third year, raising $400,000 in 2026-27.
Most councillors expressed misgivings about the scale of the proposed rise, but backed the document through the consultation process.
McKay accused her fellow councillors of being “tone deaf”, and asked what right the council had “to treat our ratepayers as an ATM machine?”
She criticised the amount of borrowing and said she was “embarrassed to be associated” with the amount council sought.
Swiggs also expressed misgivings about debt funding, and criticised the local government funding model in general.
“Imagine if Wellington had to budget the way we have to,” Swiggs said, commenting on the discrepency in tax take between central and local government,.
On Tuesday, the Christchurch City Council voted 13 to 4 in favour of a draft long-term plan that proposes an average rates increase of 13.24% from June, followed by 7.76% in the following financial year, and 4.67% the year after.
Consultation on ECan’s draft LTP will run from mid-March to mid-April, with hearings scheduled for the end of April and early May. The council is scheduled to deliberate at the end of May with a view to adopt the plan and set rates in late June.
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Warnings about scams
This Fraud Awareness Week, we’re reminding everyone to stay sharp and look out for the warning signs of scams to stop them before they start.
Here’s what to watch out for:
🔍 Unrealistic offers or promises of easy money that are too good to be true
🔍 Pressure tactics: Scammers may rush or threaten you to act immediately.
🔍 Requests for personal info: Be cautious if you’re asked for bank details, passwords, or sensitive information.
🔍 Unusual payment methods like gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
🔍 Unverified contacts: Emails, calls, or messages from unknown or suspicious sources.
How to protect yourself:
✅ Stop and think before sharing personal details or making payments.
✅ Don't click on any links until you know that it is safe.
✅ Verify the source: Contact the organisation directly using official channels.
✅ If something’s not right, it's OK to hang up, walk away, ignore it and move on.
If you wish to report a scam, contact Police on 105 or report it online via 105.police.govt.nz/use-105.
Older residents call for Amberley bus service
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A lack of public transport and access to healthcare were among the issues raised in recent a survey of older residents in the Hurunui district.
The Hurunui District Council surveyed residents aged over 60 during August and September, as it looks to develop an age-friendly community plan to support an ageing population.
There are currently no public bus services in Hurunui, which includes the town of Amberley, about 40km north of Christchurch.
Community development facilitator Vanessa Nelmes said public transport is a big issue for many elderly people, while accessing medical care when needed remains a concern.
While there are a number of community vehicle trusts operating in the district, respondents felt a regular bus service from Amberley to Rangiora and/or Christchurch is needed.
Hurunui mayor Marie Black has been among those advocating for a bus service, but for now Environment Canterbury says there are no plans to offer public transport in the district.
The distance to medical care in Christchurch and the lack of a dentist were also mentioned, Nelmes said.
The survey received 213 responses from residents aged from 60 to their 90s, with half coming from residents in the south ward, which includes Amberley.
Nelmes said the survey found a majority of the respondents felt confident using computers, internet and / or smart phones.
‘‘It kind of puts that myth to bed that old people don’t like using technology.
‘‘I think we really do need to change our mindset compared to what is really happening in our community.’’
Although about 50 respondents said they were not confident using technology, showing there was still a need for providing support.
The survey also asked if people would like to improve their skills with technology and it was ‘‘evenly split’’, Nelmes said.
A concerning trend in the survey was a number of respondents who said they felt socially isolated, especially those new to the community, she said.
‘‘We had half a dozen people who replied along the lines, ‘you have to put yourself out there, but it’s how to make the first step’.’’
The survey has been analysed by the age-friendly steering group, which plans to widen its membership to include different agencies such as district nursing and is seeking a rural voice, Nelmes said.
Council staff plan to do a stocktake of services available for senior citizens in the district, before beginning work on a draft age-friendly plan.
Environment Canterbury public transport strategy and planning manager Sonia Pollard said there are no plans to extend bus services into Amberley or the wider Hurunui district.
‘‘The focus for public transport improvements is on delivery of the core routes in Christchurch and the direct services between the main urban areas in Waimakariri and Selwyn districts and Christchurch City.
‘‘Service improvements are reliant on funding through local rates and the National Land Transport Programme.’’
She said routes outside large urban areas are unlikely to meet the funding criteria in the 2024/27 National Land Transport Programme.
But as part of the 2025/26 annual plan staff are considering how to best serve the rural community, including assessing new routes outside the Greater Christchurch boundary.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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