9.5 per cent rates increase on the cards for Christchurch city

Christchurch City Council chief executive Dawn Baxendale said the council has some big issues to contend with and decisions that have to be made as a city. Photo / Supplied

Christchurch city councillors will meet next week to consider a proposed rates increase of 9.5 per cent.

On December 6, councillors will get their first public briefing on the Draft Annual Plan 2023/24. The plan sets out what the council plans to achieve over the coming financial year - and how it will be funded.

An initial calculation put the 2023/24 rates increase in the 14 per cent to 15 per cent range, but it has been reduced to the 9 per cent to 9.5 per cent range, council chief executive Dawn Baxendale said.

“Christchurch City Council is committed to maintaining the levels of service that the people of Christchurch expect, but we’re experiencing all the same challenges as every other organisation,” Baxendale said.

“And because we’re a big organisation, the economic factors we’ve all heard so much about - inflation, interest rates, supply issues - are having a big impact.

“We know ratepayers are dealing with rising costs across the board. That’s why we’re keen to stress that this is all still a work in progress, and our staff and councillors are working hard in very challenging circumstances to reduce rates increases as much as possible,” Baxendale said.

Baxendale said the council has some big issues to contend with and decisions that have to be made as a city.

“We’re looking at every financial lever we can pull to reduce the impact of these external economic factors on our operations and help balance our rates increases over time, as well as looking at options for re-phasing capital spending.

“With supplies and labour tight at the minute, keeping realistic and focusing on what we can actually pull off is essential to keeping budgets no bigger than they need to be, and to keeping rates increases manageable.

“Everyone will get the opportunity early next year to see the Draft Annual Plan in full and submit on our plans.”

The Draft Annual Plan 2023/24 is scheduled to be adopted in early 2023, with public consultation set to take place in March/April.

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