A new Stormwater targeted rate

The Team from Whangarei District Council

To meet the challenges of stormwater management and the level of service expected by the community, we are going to need to invest more in infrastructure.
💧 www.wdc.govt.nz...

Over 2024-25, we funded stormwater costs through debt. This gave us time to wait for clarity from the Government about their plans for Local Water Done Well, and work out the fairest way to fund our stormwater management.

We are now asking you for your feedback on 2 proposed options for how to fund stormwater management.
The proposed stormwater targeted rate will help ensure that we have a dedicated and sustainable funding source to cover the costs of maintaining and upgrading our stormwater infrastructure.

The stormwater rate will fund the maintenance and improvement of stormwater systems, including important work like renewing and maintaining stormwater pipes and retention basins. It will also support work aimed at reducing flood risks and improving water quality in our rivers and streams.

The proposed universal rate would result in an average annual charge of $180 per household. This charge is designed to be fair and equitable, ensuring that all residents contribute to the essential services that benefit the entire community. There are two ways we can calculate this rate, and we are asking you which you would prefer.

1️⃣ Option 1 (preferred): Introduce a District-wide universal rate of $0.0003696 per dollar of land value. This would work out to be an average annual cost of $180 per household.
2️⃣ Option 2: Introduce a District-wide universal rate of $172 per separately used or inhabited parts (SUIP) of a rating unit. A SUIP refers to any part of a property that is used for a different purpose or inhabited by someone (i.e. if you had two homes on one property, you would be charged twice).