Horizons Regional Council’s Long-term Plan 2024-34 has been formally adopted!

The Long-term Plan (LTP) sets out how we plan to manage the region’s natural resources for the next 10 years, to ensure a healthy environment where the people are thriving.

Getting to the final LTP has taken more than a year, featuring budgeting, pre-engagement, Council workshops, information gathering, a public submissions process and two days of deliberations.

We received 540 submissions - an increase on the 439 submissions received for the 2021-31 LTP - and heard from 63 submitters in person.

Horizons chair Rachel Keedwell thanks the large number of submitters who shared their feedback on key issues, along with areas of Horizons’ work they feel passionate about.

“It is important for our community to have their say during this process, and to feel like they have been heard,” she says.

“We appreciate all who took the time to provide feedback, in particular those who came to speak to their submissions.”

“That feedback led to some robust discussions around the council table, as we looked to strike the right balance between affordability, and the work we must do."

With a few exceptions, community sentiment tended to agree with Council’s preferred options on the key issues. As a result, Council resolved to increase levels of service for public transport in Whanganui, Horowhenua and the wider region, while also implementing council’s preferred levels of service for mapping highly productive land. Levels of service for freshwater activities have been reduced, while Council’s preferred option of 100% user pays for the water meters structure will remain.

Council will also be transitioning to an integrated catchment management approach, and there will be no change in insurance level cover for river management insurances.

Council also sought feedback on their proposed strategic framework, and proposed updates to the Revenue and Financing Policy.

Opposition from 66% of submitters resulted in Council reconsidering the use of investment revenue to better reflect where investment money originated from. Twenty percent is to offset Uniform Annual General Charges, with 80% to offset the general rate.

Following community feedback, funding of drainage schemes will also revert back to the 2021 policy, with 20% to come from the general rate, and 80% from the targeted rate.

“When you look at this these changes to the draft plan, I think our community can take comfort in the fact that we have listened and paid attention to their concerns,” says Cr Keedwell.

As a result of the adopted changes, the total rate increase in the Horizons region for Year 1 will be 11.7%, then 12.0% in Year 2, and 9.0% in Year 3.

“LTPs are often measured as the average rates increase for ratepayers, however when looking across our region that type of figure is hard to quantify.”

“The rating impact will differ from district to district, property to property, due to factors such as changes to property values, and specific rating inputs such as river schemes, biosecurity and passenger transport.”

“As a council, we recognise that any increase to rates will increase pressure on households, especially during these already tough economic times.”

“We have been as prudent in our spending as possible, as we as we know that the work we will carry out as part of this LTP has a direct impact on our community and providing an environment we can all be proud of, right now, and for generations to come.“

The final Horizons 2024-34 Long-term Plan, with the full details of Horizons’ work programmes, is publicly available in the Document Library on this page.

If you want to check what your rates will look like for the next year, head to https://www.horizons.govt.nz/property-rates/rates-search. We're still doing the final touches on the rates search tool, so it should be live within the next week.