Council adopts Annual Plan with rates kept below forecast

South Taranaki District Council has adopted its 2026/27 Annual Plan, with an overall average rates increase of 5.97%, below the 6.2% forecast in the Long Term Plan.

Chief Executive Fiona Aitken says Council worked to keep the increase down while still maintaining essential services and delivering the levels of service already set out in the Long Term Plan.

“To reduce pressure on ratepayers, Council reprioritised some capital works, increased the non-funded portion of depreciation for the year, budgeted income from the sale of surplus properties, deferred funding for the Hāwera Water Tower project, and benefited from lower interest costs than originally forecast,” she says.

The Annual Plan continues investment in core infrastructure and community priorities, including water, wastewater, stormwater, roading, town centre upgrades, digital transformation and community facilities.

South Taranaki Mayor Phil Nixon says the plan reflects a realistic and prudent approach as households and businesses continue to face cost-of-living pressures.

“We know any rates increase matters, and we have worked hard to keep this one below what was originally forecast while still protecting the services and infrastructure our communities rely on every day. This Annual Plan takes a careful and practical approach — looking after what we have, continuing important work, and doing our best to balance affordability with the needs of South Taranaki.”