Mayor's message

Last month our Council adopted the draft Long Term Plan 2024-2034, which is now out for community consultation.

In the previous Long Term Plan our council had a strong focus on supporting growth activity – investing in quality infrastructure for safe drinking water, residential housing, and industrial and commercial development, to provide for growth and generate better outcomes for the community.

We are proud of what has been achieved, but post-Covid and Cyclone Gabrielle, the economic environment is now very different and challenging.

The cyclone was an event like no other we have experienced before - it resulted in a national State of Emergency and Heretaunga Hastings was the hardest hit in the region - the cost burden on our ratepayers to rebuild and recover is enormous.

We’ve spent $155m on the cyclone response and recovery to date to rebuild damaged roads and bridges, and we’ve committed $50m to the Category 3 properties’ Voluntary Buy Out programme so people can live safely in the future.

Of the 25 per cent rate increase we are proposing for the coming year, eight per cent has been targeted for the ongoing cyclone recovery.

We must rebuild our transport network to support our region’s economic and social wellbeing.

The financial impact of ongoing high inflation, insurance cost increases, high interest rates, and the rising cost of labour and materials such as pipes and bitumen is also significant.

We have looked very closely at where we can make savings, possibly pausing some projects so we don’t have to borrow too much too quickly. This includes investment in our city centre and parks and on walking and cycling paths – areas where Council has invested significantly in recent years.

We are very aware that rates affordability is a concern for our community, and we have tried to balance what needs to be done to ensure our infrastructure and services are sound and sustainable, with the ability of the community to pay for it.

Working in partnership with Central Government, we will continue to seek funding to help fund the costs we are facing to rebuild our infrastructure.

We want to hear what you think about the plan. Whether you agree or disagree, or have different suggestions, please let us know. We look forward to your feedback.

29 April 2024

Back to My Hastings