Upcoming Council decisions - 26 March 2025
Annual plan and water services consultation
Council will next week be asked to approve consultation on its proposed 2025/26 annual plan and decide on its preferred option for delivering waters services under Government’s Local Water Done Well programme.
The proposed annual plan includes an average general rates increase of 7.95%, a capital works programme of $145m and borrowing of $41m.
The draft annual plan focuses on delivering on what is set out for Year 2 of the 2024-34 Long-term Plan, which was adopted last year with consultation topics including how the Tarawera sewerage scheme should be funded and future delivery of the Rotorua Night Market.
Under Local Water Done Well the Council must decide how it plans to deliver waters services in future and is consulting on its preferred option.
Following workshops for elected members to seek direction, the recommended preferred option Council will be asked to approve is establishing an in-house council waters division until 2028, moving to a CCO model after that. A decision would be made in 2027 about whether to have water services delivered by a multi-council CCO or a Rotorua Lakes Council CCO.
Consultation will also include an alternative option with the recommendation being that this be retaining delivery of water services in-house.
Consultation for both the annual plan and Local Water Done Well delivery model will run from 4 April until 5 May 2025.
Go to p8 of the meeting agenda to read the report on the annual plan
Go to p12 of the meeting agenda to read the report on Local Water Done Well
Fluoridation decision
Council will be asked to confirm whether it will comply with the Director General of Health’s directive to fluoridate two public water supplies in Rotorua.
A report to the Council outlines legal advice sought on the matter for elected members’ consideration.
The direction means the council is legally required to fluoridate its Central and Eastern water supplies by 28 March 2025 and faces fines if it does not comply as it is an offence under the Health Act. Additionally, if it does not comply the council may also have to repay an estimated $3.1m provided by the Ministry of Health to Rotorua Lakes Council for the capital cost involved in setting up fluoridation systems.
The original direction ordered that the Rotorua supplies be fluoridated by 30 April 2024 which was extended to 28 March 2025 to allow for legal matters to be considered.
Temporary arrangements are in place for public access to a non-fluoridated water supply tap for the Central and Eastern water supply areas.
Go to p23 of the meeting agenda to read the report relating to this matter
Also on the Agenda
Council will receive an update from the Mayor on recent travel to Australia and China – see the report at this link: Attachments of Council Meeting - Wednesday, 26 March 2025.
It will also receive a financial update, be asked to approve attendance at the 2025 LGNZ SuperLocal Conference in Christchurch in July, and will receive at update from the Te Arawa Partnerships group on work it has been involved in.
The agenda for next week’s Council meeting is available on the Rotorua Lakes Council website at the following link: Agenda of Council Meeting - Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Next week’s meeting is being held at 9.30am in the Council Chamber and is open to the public to attend.
The meeting will also be livestreamed and you can watch live or later via the Council’s YouTube channel: Rotorua Lakes Council - YouTube
