Introduction
The Annual Plan, approved at the 25 June 2024 Council meeting, sets the rates increase at 17.5% for the 2024-25 year.
The rates increase includes 4.4% for the city’s new kerbside collection service, and funding for other essential services, such as the supply of safe drinking water and wastewater disposal, with higher regulatory requirements to meet.
It also includes increased funding for the maintenance or replacement of ageing infrastructure, which is essential but adds another 5.4% to rates.
The budget also finds room for the Council’s decision to take ownership of the Otago Hockey turf, a 4.3% increase in funding for Tūhura Otago Museum, a $75,000 grant for Dunedin’s Wildlife Hospital, and work to develop a draft Young Person Action Plan.
Much of the rest of the increase covers the rising costs of insurance, inflation, depreciation and fuel, which are unavoidable.
te mahere pae tata ki ōtepoti |dunedin’s annual plan (new window, 3.3MB)
te mahere pae tata ki ōtepoti | dunedin’s annual plan 2024-25 (accessible format) (new window, 1.8MB)
Community engagement
Community feedback on the draft Annual Plan helped inform the final decisions. Input was sought in a variety of ways. People were informed about the opportunity to have their say through advertising in print media, on radio and on social media. There were also drop-in sessions at the Civic Centre, the Farmers Market and in Community Board areas.
760 submissions were collected, and around 100 people spoke to their submissions at the Annual Plan hearings.
What you told us
Key decisions
- Wildlife Hospital Trust: A grant of $75,000. The trust’s veterinary team treats a wide variety of native species including penguins, reptiles and sea lions. More than 75% of native species in New Zealand are threatened, and the Wildlife Hospital has a critical role in their survival.
- Tūhura Otago Museum: A funding increase of 4.3% for the 2024/25 year. Tūhura Otago Museum shares the natural, cultural and scientific stories of Otago, Aotearoa New Zealand and the world.
- Hockey turfs: Council agreed to take ownership of the hockey turfs at Logan Park and fund the replacement of the turfs at a capital cost of $1 million in the 2024-25 year.
- Community housing rents: An 11% increase in Community Housing rents for 2024-25 will help cover increased costs to operate the community housing portfolio, such as insurance, interest and the new kerbside collection service.
What we’re doing
We’re also busy delivering on the decisions made in previous plans.
- South Dunedin Library and Community Complex: The foundations have been laid, and work on this welcoming new facility is well underway.
- George Street: Our Totally Georgeous main street has had a makeover... and a makeunder, with much-needed new pipes beneath the attractive new streetscape.
- Bath Street Pipe Upgrade: We are replacing water pipes that date back to the 1800s. The work on lower Stuart Street is expected to be completed before the cruise ship season.
A complete record of the decisions can be found in the meeting minutes: Agendas and minutes - Dunedin City Council
What’s next?
Attention now turns to the 9 year plan 2025-34 process.
Given the repeal of 3 Waters legislation, the Government said that Councils could do an enhanced annual plan for 2024-25 instead of a 10 year plan for 2024-34. This means we are now preparing a 9 year plan for 2025-34.