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Toxic algae warning for the Waiau River, Waihopai River and the Hamilton Burn. Click here for more information.

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Investment in the future

A change of season is upon us and with it, opportunities to explore Murihiku Southand’s unique outdoor environment. Over the past year there have been some positive gains. Here are a few highlights.

  • We have completed flood protection infrastructure upgrades to the Stead Street pump house near the airport; our stop banks in Gore, Mataura, Wyndham and along the Waihōpai River in Invercargill; and 91% of the annual enhanced maintenance programme.
  • The Southland Water and Land Plan was made largely operative after 10 years of working together with individuals from the community, major stakeholders, industry bodies and other councils. The plan, along with the on-farm and community actions it requires, provides a robust foundation for developing a Southland solution to our water quality challenges.
  • We’ve actively engaged with 5,600 Southland students through the Enviroschools programme
  • We made 332 dives searching for marine pests. In May we were able to declare Chalky Inlet in Fiordland free of the invasive marine pest Undaria five years after it was first discovered.

Over 11,178 native plants planted in 45 projects across the region.

Note: In some areas, there is more than one project.

Flood protection infrastructure and drainage work continues across the region’s 516km stop banks and 1400km of land drainage.

Construction is completed on the new, efficient, fish-friendly facility to replace the ageing Stead Street pump station.

Five river monitoring web cameras can be accessed on our website as part of the Data to Life network.

Over the summer months, we monitor 22 popular swimming sites for health risks.

There has been a 24.4% reduction in PM10 emissions in Invercargill in the past five years – and 72% of those surveyed have adopted practices to improve air quality.

Zero mice detected on Rakiura Stewart Island.

As the regional council, we are responsible for managing Southland’s natural and physical resources – water, land, air and the coast. These resources underpin Southland’s regional economy and our quality of life. As a community, we need to take a long-term, sustainable perspective to natural resource use if we want them to be available for future generations to use and enjoy.

This year’s average rates increase is 12.6%, which equates to approximately 67c per week for a $450,000 property. The increase includes an inflation adjustment and investment in ongoing flood protection work.

This year, we began transitioning from using predominantly land value to predominantly capital value when calculating rates. Actual amounts for individual ratepayers always vary due to differences and changes in property valuations. Answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about rates can be found on the back page of this flyer, including how to get involved in future consultation.

If you haven’t switched to online invoices yet, sign up here.

There are many ways to pay; online via credit or debit card, online banking, or direct debit. Look on the back of your rates invoice, or visit here to learn more.

You can make one annual payment or you can have payments split into three equal instalments via direct debit. To sign up, click here or call our rates team on 0800 377 2837 by 15 November 2024.

Planned spend:

Total expenditure for the 2024/25 year is around $51 million, of which approximately:

  • $30m goes to Healthy Environment – to protect, enhance and restore Southland’s natural environment, indigenous biodiversity and its capacity to provide for current and future generations.
  • $14.9m goes to Safe and Resilient Communities – to enable communities to provide for their health, safety and social, cultural and economic wellbeing.
  • $6.1m goes to Thriving Region – to enable democratic decision-making and promote practices that allow communities and our natural environment to flourish
Frequently asked questions about rates
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