Long-term Plan 2024-34 Frequently asked questions

The Long-term Plan 2024-2034 outlines our budgets and work programmes for the next ten years, with an emphasis on the first three years.

The key issue for feedback in the Long-term Plan consultation document is a proposed increased and ongoing investment in Southland’s flood protection infrastructure network and river management to increase community resilience. This means that there would be an increase in operating expenditure by $2.3M per year funded by a proposed new flood protection infrastructure rate.

See the Draft Revenue and Financing Policy Statement of Proposal

Our flood protection infrastructure network is extensive but it’s also older now (30+ years) and it is coming under increasing pressure due to more enduring and severe weather. We want to invest in flood protection mitigations in an ongoing way to support Southland’s social and economic resilience for now and the future.

We are looking for feedback on a number of key issues and topics including:

• Revenue and Financing policy
• Shareholding in South Port NZ Ltd
• Targeted rabbit control rate
• Fees and charges
• Climate change strategy
• Infrastructure strategy
• Representation review
• Significance and Engagement policy
• increased and ongoing investment in Southland’s flood protection infrastructure network and river management to increase community resilience.

The Revenue and Financing Policy proposals are to:

• create one Flood Protection Infrastructure Rate based on capital value for all ratepayers to replace 140 targeted rates to pay for improved flood mitigation, including and repayment of debt for new flood infrastructure; and
• move the Biosecurity and Land Sustainability rating basis from land value to capital value.

These proposals would provide for a better allocation of the cost of:

• maintaining and improving our investment in infrastructure to maintain a fit-for-purpose flood protection network; and
• implementing the Regional Pest Management Plan.

Please contact us on 03 211 5115 if you want to submit in a different way e.g., verbally

On the webpage here: www.es.govt.nz/consultations

If you choose to speak to the councillors about your submission the hearing date will be in May 2024. You will be contacted by our staff to arrange this.

The flood protection infrastructure network comprises of over 500 kilometres of stop banks across the region, drainage networks, spillways, dams, tidal gates, and pump stations.

It is designed to engineering specifications to substantially reduce the impact of flooding on people, property, and critical infrastructure such as roads, utilities, telecommunications, and the airport.

As a result, it plays an important part in protecting people’s livelihoods and the region’s economy, which has a GDP of $7.3 billion.

In the past, the prevailing belief was that those nearest the rivers were the ones who benefitted from flood protection infrastructure, because it directly protected their properties.

The belief now is that everyone benefits socially and economically because everyone needs the critical infrastructure to function.

Our rating system is complicated, so we are proposing to make it simpler and more equitable as part of a review of our revenue and financing policy.

We need to look at the value our services have across the region and acknowledge that for most services, everyone benefits in one way or another, so we are taking a regional approach.

One change we’re proposing is to create a Flood Protection Infrastructure Rate to spread the cost of flood mitigation in recognition that everyone benefits. This would be based on capital value and apply to all ratepayers, replacing 140 targeted rates.

To find out what it is for your specific property go to the online rates calculator.

The flood network protects people, properties, roads, telecommunications, and Invercargill Airport from the full impacts of floods.

The increase for each property is different based on the property’s capital value.

The general rate covers council expenditure that benefits all ratepayers. For example, research and monitoring of Southland’s water, land, air and coast to ensure they’re managed sustainably and available for future generations to use and enjoy.

The general rate consists of two parts:

• the Uniform Annual General Charge, which is a fixed amount that is the same for every ratepayer in Southland

• a variable part, which is based on the capital value of each property

The variable part is calculated each year on the rateable value of each property, supplied by Quotable Values.

The Uniform Annual General Charge is the fixed amount of your general rate. It covers activities that benefit everyone regardless of property size or value, such as emergency management, pollution prevention, environmental education, community representation and our 24-hour environmental response service through our 0800 76 88 45 phone number.

All ratepayers contribute to the work of our biosecurity team through their annual rates. We work with people to ensure harmful species do not impact too severely on the values that give Southland a world class environment. Specifically, the biosecurity rate pays for work programmes detailed in the Southland Regional Pest Management Plan and the Southland Biosecurity Strategy.

Every property in Southland pays a land sustainability rate. This rate enables us to work with the Southland community, supporting them to take informed and brave environmental action. Our team in land management, pollution prevention, and environmental education work with rural and urban Southlanders to provide advice, and help landowners understand and navigate increasingly complex regulatory frameworks.

Apart from the investment in the flood infrastructure the only other increases to budgets are due to inflation and interest rates.

Inflation is also something we must build into our budget. Other than inflation, interest, and our proposed investment in flood protection, we are not planning any further changes to our work programme, which we can deliver within existing budgets. For the first year of our Long-term Plan, we are proposing zero growth in all of our other work programmes and 2% growth in the following years.

A Southland property valued at $450K would have a proposed rate increase of $1.20 per week for 2024/2025. Of that, 50 cents per week would fund our normal operating activities (inclusive of inflation), 30 cents per week to pay for interest and depreciation on our current flood infrastructure projects, and 40 cents per week for our proposed increase in Flood Protection Infrastructure operating expenditure. Please see what it means for your property by using our rates calculator on the website.

Different councils are responsible for different work. As a regional council, Environment Southland is responsible for the sustainable management of our region’s natural resources - land, water, air, and coast - in partnership with the community. Your city or district council provides other services, such as road maintenance and waste collection.

Meeting these differing responsibilities requires different work across different years, and also depends on the specific plans each council has in place. This means funding needs will vary between our region’s four councils.

Call our offices on 0800 76 88 45 or 21 15115 or email submissions@es.govt.nz

We have options available for paying rates in instalments. You can pay three equal instalments across the year via direct debit – see our direct debit sign-up and online payments pages for more information.

If you would like to discuss your specific circumstances further, please call 0800 377 2837.