During a two-day budget meeting this week, Dunedin city councillors will consider an engagement approach on the draft 2026-27 annual plan, which proposes a 10.5% rates increase.
In her report to the meeting, corporate planner Janet Fraser said the draft plan made no significant changes to year 2 of the council’s nine-year plan (2025-34) and there were limited differences requiring feedback.
Her report recommended a "focused and proportionate engagement approach" rather than asking for broad feedback. Councillors are expected to adopt a "succinct" consultation document on March 26.
Conversely, developing the council’s 10-year plan (2027-37) would be a "substantial undertaking" and a significant early engagement process was recommended, Ms Fraser said.
"Early engagement would encourage feedback from the community, with key messages around understanding community priorities and what is most important, while acknowledging the current context, including significant legislative reform and proposed rates capping."
It would also capture views on "whether to do a full review of the options relating to Smooth Hill".
Under the proposed approach, the annual plan consultation period would run from March 30 to April 29, while long-term plan pre-consultation was planned for mid-April to end of May.
A three-day annual plan hearing, set down for early May, would be cancelled and instead the public could speak to their submissions at a council meeting the following week.
"The engagement material will encourage people to express their views to council only in relation to material changes within the draft plan," Ms Fraser said.
A two-day council meeting in late May for annual plan deliberations would become a one-day meeting renamed "annual plan budget update".
The annual plan was expected to be adopted on June 25.
Long-term plan pre-consultation could be included alongside rates bills issued in April and May, in order to reach more people and capture broader views from a range of topics.
Early engagement would provide a sense of how to target formal consultation.
A council meeting in mid-December would also be extended to four days, becoming a long-term plan budget meeting.
Ms Fraser said the council could choose not to adopt the proposed approach.
"However, no alternative approach has been identified that better aligns with legislative requirements and proportionality."
The meeting begins at 9am on Wednesday.
