What’s a Long-Term Plan?

Every three years we develop the Long-Term Plan – setting major projects, budgets and financial strategy (including proposed rate increases) for the next 10 years.

The Long-Term Plan includes a 30-year Infrastructure Strategy, which sets the strategic direction for providing infrastructure, as required by the Local Government Act 2002.

 


2024-34 Long-Term Plan

The city's budgets, plans and rates for the next 10 years are now set. 

Read the 2024-34 Long-Term Plan

Read the 2024-54 Infrastructure Strategy

What's in our Long-Term Plan

This Long-Term Plan document outlines our plans, budgets and priorities for the next decade, with a focus on the next three years.

Across New Zealand, councils, households and businesses are facing hugely challenging financial circumstances, with inflation, interest costs and depreciation making everything we do more expensive.

Finding the right balance

This Plan is aimed at finding the right balance between continuing to maintain our city by delivering the essential work that our community values and relies on, while meeting everyday costs with everyday revenue within three years, and keeping rates increases as low as possible in the circumstances.

The Plan is based on the needs of current and future Hamiltonians. During the consultation period, Council received almost 3000 submissions from individuals, organisations and businesses. Significant changes were made in the final Plan as a result of this feedback. Read about what we consulted on here.

We found a lot of savings by reducing our staff costs and making cuts to our capital programme.

But residents will continue receiving what Council currently provides — such as keeping library and pool opening hours, gardens maintained, the city tidy, and the current kerbside residential rubbish and recycling collection schedule.

What will our rates be?

To achieve this, the Plan includes an average general rates increase of 16.5% in 2024/25 ($9 a week for a median-value residential property). The rates increase will reduce by about one percentage point annually over the following four years (15.5%, 14.6%, 13.5%, 12.5%).

We recognise this is a significant increase in rates over the next few years, and that many in our community will find this challenging. However, options to further reduce rates at this time are constrained because of the increased costs we face and the growing requirements on councils from central government.

Every effort was made to keep the increases as low as possible given the financial environment, and no decision was made lightly.

 

What we’re planning to spend

To keep the city running, we will spend $10.7 billion over the next 10 years.

This will be our total operating expenditure over 10 years

This will be our total capital expenditure over 10 years

What are our priorities for Hamilton Kirikiriroa?

In 2020 we asked residents what they love about Hamilton Kirikiriroa, and what would make their city an even better place to be.

Public opinion factored strongly into the development of Council’s five priorities:

Key dates

7-8 November 2023

Elected Members information sessions

The Elected Members receive updated information, modelling and rates scenarios.

Read more about session 1

Read more about session 2

28-29 November 2023

Proposed budget

Council meets to consider the proposed budget, significant forecasting assumptions and Development Contributions Policy.

14 December 2023

Significance and Engagement Policy

Council meets to consider adopting the draft Significance and Engagement Policy.

14 March 2024

Consultation document

Council meets to adopt the Long-Term Plan 2024-34 consultation document.

 

Read the consultation document

 

March-April 2024

Community consultation

Council consults with the Hamilton Kirikiriroa community and receives written submissions. 

May 2024

Community feedback considered

Council meets to consider the community feedback. Verbal submissions are heard in late May.

 

Read the verbal submissions agenda

Read the deliberations report

 

4 July 2024

Long-Term Plan adopted

Council meets to adopt the Long-Term Plan 2024-34 and set rates for 2024-25.

What you said

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Last updated 14 March 2024