Council updates, Financial matters, Have your say, Planning for the future  |  Yesterday

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Christchurch City Council has proposed its Draft Annual Plan for the coming year, and it’s now the public’s turn to weigh in.

Mayor Phil Mauger and councillors adopted the draft plan today, outlining the activities, services and capital projects the Council will deliver, and the rates and revenue that will be required to pay for them. 

Mayor Mauger says the plan’s main purpose is to highlight any key changes from the Long Term Plan 2024–2034. 

“This process is where we check in on how Christchurch is doing and make any course corrections. 

“We think the course we’re on is the envy of other councils around New Zealand. The city is growing, Parakiore has just come online, One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha is opening in April, and we’ve managed to do it while still taking care of the basics. That’s our goal – affordable growth. 

“That’s been our priority this year, too. In an environment where the rising cost of living is still a central issue, and with the Government signalling some big changes for what local councils should be doing and how we pay for it, we need to strike the balance between prudence and investment in our future.  

“We think the tweaks we’re proposing in this Draft Annual Plan do that, but it will be up to the community to tell us when we go out for consultation on 27 February.” 

The Draft Annual Plan proposes an average rates increase of 7.4% for the average household, or $6.05 a week. 

The plan also proposes:  

  • An overall average rates increase across all property types of 7.96%. 

  • A rates increase for business properties of 8.7%. 

  • An average rates increase for remote rural properties of 8.0%. 

  • $598.9 million of investment into Council infrastructure and facilities. 

  • $770.5 million for delivering the day-to-day services the Council provides. 

  • $314.4 million in borrowing for the capital programme – $37.9 million lower than planned in the Long Term Plan. 

The rates increase of 7.96%, is lower than was projected during the 2025/26 Annual Plan, which forecast an increase of 10.52% in 2026/27.

“We're proposing all this at the same time as our regular rates revaluation, which we use to determine what share each property contributes to the overall rates,” Mayor Mauger says. 

“This latest revaluation reflects property market values as at 1 August 2025, and shows a relatively small average increase across the whole district of 3.5% since 2022, but with some significant differences between types of property. The new property values will be available towards the end of February.” 

The Council is also asking for feedback on: 

  • Providing financial support to help restore four ‘iconic’ buildings – Canterbury Museum, Canterbury Provincial Chambers, Christ Church Cathedral and Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre. 

  • Pausing the planned rates increases that would provide additional funding for the Climate Resilience Fund and the Environmental Partnerships Fund. 

The Draft Annual Plan will go out for public feedback from Friday 27 February until Friday 27 March 2026.