Fit for the Future - Waitaki's Long Term Plan 2025-2034

What's this all about?

Our Long Term Plan is our BIG budget and programme of work for the next nine years.

We've used the theme 'Fit for the Future' to talk about the stamina, endurance and resilience we need to build to get us through some of the toughest financial challenges we’ve ever faced. Council has been squeezed by price rises in the things we must deliver, by the same cost of living crisis that’s squeezed household budgets. And there are things we just can’t put off until tomorrow in the hope that the future will get easier. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

We’ve worked hard on constraining budgets and stripping back programmes of work, but we’re still looking at an average rates rise of 10.3% in 2025/26.

Public Consultation on the Waitaki District Long Term Plan 2025-34 is open from Tuesday 4 February to 5pm, Tuesday 4 March 2025. Other people will be having their say. Don't miss your chance to be heard on what we're proposing to do over the next nine years, and share your views on what we should be focusing on.

Read the Consultation Document

We want to make sure that you have all the details you need to make informed decisions on what you think the best way forward is for Waitaki.

Our Consultation Document is a comprehensive summary of the key topics and projects we need to fund in our draft 2025-34 Long Term Plan.

Read the Consultation Document

This document looks at where we are now, the challenges we know we’ll face over the next decade, how we plan to tackle them, and the decisions we need your help with.

We've tried to keep it simple - but these are complex topics!

For busy people who just want the basics, we're preparing summaries and topic 'cheat sheets'. Want to know more? We have supporting documents and longer articles. Can't find the answers you need? Come along to a Community Q&A or pop your query into our 'Questions' tool below.

Why should you care?

The choices we make now will affect the things we’re able to provide in the future. And how much you’ll pay.

Some of the big decisions we need your help with are...

1. Do we set up a new company to deliver water services?

2. Do we meter water across Waitaki to save water and extend the life of our infrastructure?

3. Do we repurpose Tourism Waitaki and let the Penguin Colony stand on its own feet?

4. How should we plan to protect our assets in a changing climate?

5. What could we do to reduce rates rises? Do we sell some Council property?

Plus we’re also asking: Do we really need all of our Community Halls? What’s Council’s role in social housing? What about Airbnbs? What do you think of the projects we have planned? What about changes to fees and charges?

Want more information?

• Go to our deep dive section below to find longer articles on our consultation topics.
• Find heaps of supporting documents and FAQs on this page.
  
  

Want less information?

Click on the arrows to read bite-sized summaries of the key topics.

Now have your say!

Use our online survey tool below to give us your feedback before consultation closes on 4 March 2025. If you'd prefer to talk in person, find details on our local Community Q&As on this page.