Let's Talk Annual Plan - 2022/23 Annual Plan consultation
What’s changed in the past year?
Last year, we adopted the 2021-31 Long Term Plan and we agreed that your expected average rate increase for the 2022/23 year would be 4.4%.
We’ve all seen a lot of change over the last year, which has affected global supply chains, bottom lines, and an annual consumer price index increase of 5.9% to December 2021.
Like many other organisations, we’re facing constrained labour markets and higher construction costs, which make it more expensive to operate our business. We’re working hard to ensure that we deliver our services and projects in the most effective and efficient ways possible, and our rates are within the limit set in the Long Term Plan.
The impact of these changes has seen a huge jump in the price of services and materials, which has had a flow-on effect for many of the services we provide to you. We have also had to consider the timing of some growth projects, for water, wastewater, stormwater and transportation associated with new developments in Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi.
By postponing some of these projects to the 2022/23 year, it makes sure they align with the timing of private growth developments being undertaken in the district so that we can keep any associated costs to a minimum.
We’ll need to monitor our projects and levels of service even more closely to ensure we stay within budgets now and in future years.
