Financial contributions

The financial contributions rules of Plan Change 26 to the Waipā District Plan went live on Thursday November 20, 2025.

What?

Financial contributions are payable for every new house in the medium density residential and commercial zones in Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi. This follows a binding Ministerial decision requiring the new fees for Plan Change 26.

How much?

The total contribution, including GST, will range from $575 to $3795 per home.

The maximum charge of $3795 is made up of:

$575 – Street trees charge
$1495 – Residential amenity charge
$1725 – Te Ture Whaimana (Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River) charge

We have developed a discount and credit system that will be applied to each new house.

See discounts and credits sections below.

Why?

The financial contributions are levied for the specific purpose of mitigating the effects of increased housing density on both residential amenity – how pleasant a neighbourhood is for people – and the Waikato River.

When?

The new fees were applied from Thursday, November 20, 2025.

Invoices will be raised and sent out as part of the building consent process, and will include any discounts and credits that apply. No building works can start until the invoice is paid. Notices under Section 37 of the Building Act will be used to stop works on building consents with outstanding financial contributions invoices.

How will it be used?

Financial contributions help reduce the impacts of our towns becoming more built-up.

They can be used for:

Planting street trees
Enhancing parks and reserves
Improving stormwater systems
Supporting Te Ture Whaimana – the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River

They cannot be used for things already funded by development contributions, such as new playgrounds in growth areas.

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.

Council has adopted a practice note that sets out how financial contributions will be collected and used. This can be viewed at the link below:

Read the use practice note (PDF, 144KB)

Discounts

Discounts will be applied in the following circumstances:

Greenfield (new growth area) discounts

First dwelling on a site:	100% discount to the residential amenity charge; and
	100% discount to the Te Ture Whaimana charge if site coverage and impermeable surface standards are met, and a 50% discount if not.

Brownfield (existing neighbourhood) discounts

Residential amenity charge	A 25% discount where site coverage of all buildings is less than 40% of net site area.
	A 25% discount where the density of the proposed development is no greater than one dwelling per 500m2 site area.
	A 50% discount where the dwellings’ gross floor area is 70m2 or less.
Te Ture Whaimana charge	100% discount if impermeable surfaces on a site are 45% or less.

In all circumstances (greenfield and brownfield), each dwelling will need to pay the tree charge.

Council has adopted a practice note that sets out how discounts will be calculated and applied. This can be viewed at the link below.

Read the discount factor and credit practice note (PDF, 523KB)

Credits

A full credit will apply (ie., no contribution will be required) where:

An existing house is being removed to make way for new dwellings; or
Development is occurring on a vacant site that was created before August 30, 2024.

Council has adopted a practice note that sets out how credits will be calculated and applied. This can be viewed at the link below.

Read the discount factor and credit practice note (PDF, 523KB)

Frequently asked questions

Why are financial contributions being added to the District Plan?

The Minister for Resource Management Reform has directed that the financial contribution provisions from Plan Change 26 (PC26) be included in the Waipā District Plan. This means Council must now apply these charges — the Minister’s decision is final.

Are there any exemptions?

Yes. Financial contributions will not apply if, before November 20, 2025, a building or resource consent for the house has been lodged with Council and accepted for processing.

Didn’t Council oppose these fees?

Yes. Council made a request to the Minister exclude financial contributions from the District Plan because we did not want to add more costs for new homeowners. However, the Minister rejected this request.

Will the money stay in our community?

Yes. Contributions will be spent locally, in the area where they are collected:

Area 1: Cambridge and Leamington
Area 2: Te Awamutu and Kihikihi

Every dollar will be clearly recorded so residents can see how it’s being used.

When and how are the fees paid?

Financial contributions are invoiced and paid as part of the building consent process. Building Work will not be able to begin until the fees are paid.

Will everyone pay the same amount?

Not necessarily. We’ve created discount and credit practice notes to make sure fees reflect the real impact of each development.

Discounts:

In greenfield areas (new growth areas), the first home on a Medium Density site will receive 100% off the Residential Amenity and Te Ture Whaimana charges. These areas already have planned stormwater systems and reserves.
Second and later homes in those areas are considered brownfield and standard charges will apply.
Homes in brownfield areas (existing neighbourhoods) may qualify for discounts if certain design criteria are met.

Note: All homes must pay the tree charge ($575) — this cannot be discounted.

Can I apply for a lower contribution?

Yes. Application for resource consent can be made to have further discounts apply to financial contribution. This will normally occur where multiple homes are being building and substantial on-site works are provided to reduce the off-site effects of development. The cost of apply for resource consent is about the same as the maximum contribution for one home.

Why is Council letting the building industry know early?

We want builders, developers, and homeowners to have advance notice so they can plan and inform their clients about these new costs when PC26 becomes fully operative on November 20, 2025.

What if I already have a land use consent for my house?

Financial contributions will not apply if:

Your house had a land use consent granted for it before November 20, 2025
Your land use consent says you don’t have to pay financial contributions, or you only have to pay a reduced amount.