Minister's decision: financial contributions for new homes in Waipā
New homes built in the urban areas of Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi will be liable for financial contributions from next month, following a Ministerial decision requiring the new fees for Plan Change 26.
While Waipā District Council had requested not to introduce the fees, the Minister’s decision means they must be introduced.
The maximum charge, including GST, is $3795 for each new home, made up of:
- Tree charge of $575
- Residential amenity charge of $1495
- Waikato River Vision and Strategy charge of $1725.
Council has developed a discount and credit system that will be applied to each new house.
Both the amenity and river charges can be discounted by up to 100 percent depending on the location and design of the dwelling. The tree charge cannot be discounted.
A 100 percent credit – meaning no contributions are payable – will be applied for people replacing an existing home, or for new houses on empty sites created before August 2024.
The new fees will apply from Thursday, November 20, but will not apply to any resource or building consents lodged and accepted for processing before that date.
The funds will be spent in the area where they are collected, and records will be publicly available to show how the money is used.
Group manager district growth and regulatory services, Wayne Allan, said the Council is committed to a fair and transparent process.
“While the Minister’s decision means the fees will be applied, we have worked hard to make the process clear and equitable,” he said.
“Our focus now is on making sure that every dollar collected is spent where it’s needed most to benefit the community.”
The plan change, required by Central Government, introduced mandatory medium-density housing in the residential zones of Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi.
