Council adopts annual plan

The Taupō District Council has adopted its 2025-26 Annual Plan, with an 8.4% increase in rates.

The rates increase is 0.1% higher than forecast in the Long-term Plan 2024-34 that was adopted nine months ago.

This would have been higher had staff not cut some costs and delayed the timeline for some projects.

In a statement issued this week the council said in the time between the Long-term Plan being adopted and the Annual Plan, there have been a number of unplanned increases to essential business costs, many driven by central government requirements, plus rises in contract costs.

As a result, there will be a slower pace of delivering some projects although key commitments in the Long-term Plan, such as water treatment plant upgrades, will still be delivered.

Councils are primarily funded by rates and have no other way to pay for the increased costs involved in projects such as government water reform.

Mayor David Trewavas summed up councillors’ sentiment towards unfunded government directives, saying “stop flogging us at every opportunity”.

After rates were charged in three instalments last year due to late adoption of the Long-term Plan, rates instalments for the 2025-26 year will revert to the usual quarterly pattern of August, November, February and May.