Council chief executive Sandy Graham earlier this month said there had been a "slight slowing" in delivery of the 2025-26 capital programme before some tough choices might have to be put in front of the community.
The latest capital expenditure forecast is for $190m in the year to June, against a budget of $231m.
A report in the council’s finance and performance committee agenda for a meeting tomorrow said project timing and cost savings were the main reasons for the forecast underspend.
They included a resource consent requirement delaying construction of some Green Island resource-recovery park facilities, a delay in refurbishment of Dunedin City Library and savings in the Moana Pool redevelopment project.
The most recent update was from January results.
Capital expenditure for 2025-26 up until the end of January was $81m, or 35.1% of the full-year budget. The council was $34m behind schedule.
In December, the forecast capital spend for the financial year had been $204m. Forecast delivery then slipped by $14m.
It has been unclear in recent weeks how the council intends to determine proposed capital expenditure for 2026-27 and to what extent elected members are setting the direction.
Questions to the council about this went unanswered yesterday.
Ms Graham this month said more would be known in May.
"In May, we’ll have a far better idea where this year’s programme is at."
Almost $240m of capital spending was included in budgets for the draft 2026-27 annual plan, but it has been signalled the actual figure is likely to be closer to $200m.
The start of a rethink about capital spending has been happening against a backdrop of the council anticipating how it will need to adjust to a planned government-imposed rates cap.
Ms Graham this month said delaying some projects this year could give councillors options when considering the 2027-37 long-term plan.
She has also said the council had to bear in mind what would be affordable and realistic to deliver.
