Selwyn annual plan faces shake-up after submission surge

Almost 400 submissions have landed on Selwyn District Council’s draft annual plan, setting up intensive deliberations and likely revisions to key figures.

Councillors will need to revisit spending and priorities after the high level of public feedback from submissions which are still open until Sunday, April 26.

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon said she was always expecting further tinkering with the figures and is confident in delivering a final plan on time.

“I'm really confident that we can pull this together.

“We know there's going to be a big few days and there's going to be a lot of work that is going to go into that. But that's our job to do that work.”

The long-term plan had forecast a 13.3% rates increase but the new council has focused on cost-savings and reductions – including a push to higher user-pays charging in some areas – to slashed budget, while the water and wastewater has shifted to the new CCO, Selwyn Water Limited.

Gliddon reiterated that the 5.4% average rates increase in the draft was just an "initial draft starting number" and she expects a lower increase when they adopt they annual plan.

“When we approved the draft annual plan we asked staff to continue to find savings and they will be brought back through the deliberations.”

Another focus is ensuring the capital program is “realistic of we can actually deliver next financial year”.

The council will be looking at projects that won’t be delivered this year and asking “why we need to carry them over, because if there's no good reason, then they are out”

They will also have to account for the “ongoing fuel price saga” in the budgets.

Gliddon acknowledged the new council is dealing with the consequences of not revisiting and revising the previous annual plan budget.

“In hindsight, not reassessing the [2025/26] annual plan budget hasn't really put us in a great position, especially when we're looking at what we're going to actually achieve and deliver in this financial year.”

Their southern neighbours at the Ashburton District Council are set to consider if they need to rewrite their annual plan to factor in fuel cost escalations.

Ashburton’s draft carries an 8.71% average rates increase and hasn’t gone out for consultation.

Further south, Timaru's council has gone with an average rates rise of 9% in its draft annual plan.

Waitaki is consulting on a 19% increase – having also had a 45% increase option on the table.

Mayor Mel Tavendale warned that a 19% hike will only just keep their heads above water.

North or Selwyn, Christchurch City Council is proposing an average overall rates increase of 7.96% and Waimakariri’s increase is 4.91%.

By Jonathan Leask, local democracy reporter

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.