April 27, 2026
More than 400 submissions have landed on Selwyn District Council’s draft annual plan, setting up intensive deliberations and likely revisions to key figures.
Councillors will need to revisit spending and priorities from the high level of public feedback, with submissions still coming in until Sunday.
Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon said she was always expecting further tinkering with the figures and is confident in delivering a final plan on time.
“I'm really confident that we can pull this together.
“We know there's going to be a big few days and there's going to be a lot of work that is going to go into that. But that's our job to do that work.”
The long-term plan had forecast a 13.3% rates increase but the new council has focused on cost-savings and reductions – including a push to higher user-pays charging in some areas – to slash the budget, while the water and wastewater has shifted to the new CCO, Selwyn Water Limited, which has signalled an 18% increase in water charges.
Gliddon reiterated that the 5.4% average rates increase in the draft was just an "initial draft starting number" and she expects a lower increase when they adopt they annual plan.
“When we approved the draft annual plan we asked staff to continue to find savings and they will be brought back through the deliberations.”
Another focus is ensuring the capital program is “realistic of we can actually deliver next financial year”.
The council will be looking at projects that won’t be delivered this year and asking “why we need to carry them over, because if there's no good reason, then they are out”
They will also have to account for the “ongoing fuel price saga” in the budgets.
Gliddon acknowledged the new council is dealing with the consequences of not revisiting and revising the previous annual plan budget.
“In hindsight, not reassessing the [2025/26] annual plan budget hasn't really put us in a great position, especially when we're looking at what we're going to actually achieve and deliver in this financial year.”
Their southern neighbours at the Ashburton District Council are set to consider if they need to rewrite their annual plan to factor in fuel cost escalations.
Ashburton’s draft carries an 8.71% average rates increase and hasn’t gone out for consultation.
The increase is split between 3.7% for its in-house three waters services and 4.96% for everything else.
Further south, Timaru's council has gone with an average rates rise of 9% in its draft annual plan, but only with a 3.7% increase if water rates are excluded.
Waitaki is consulting on a 19% increase – having also had a 45% increase option on the table.
Mayor Mel Tavendale warned that a 19% hike will only just keep their heads above water.
North or Selwyn, Christchurch City Council is proposing an average overall rates increase of 7.96% and Waimakariri’s increase is 4.91%.
By Jonathan Leask
More than 400 submissions have landed on Selwyn District Council’s draft annual plan, setting up intensive deliberations and likely revisions to key figures.
Councillors will need to revisit spending and priorities from the high level of public feedback, with submissions still coming in until Sunday.
Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon said she was always expecting further tinkering with the figures and is confident in delivering a final plan on time.
“I'm really confident that we can pull this together.
“We know there's going to be a big few days and there's going to be a lot of work that is going to go into that. But that's our job to do that work.”
The long-term plan had forecast a 13.3% rates increase but the new council has focused on cost-savings and reductions – including a push to higher user-pays charging in some areas – to slash the budget, while the water and wastewater has shifted to the new CCO, Selwyn Water Limited, which has signalled an 18% increase in water charges.
Gliddon reiterated that the 5.4% average rates increase in the draft was just an "initial draft starting number" and she expects a lower increase when they adopt they annual plan.
“When we approved the draft annual plan we asked staff to continue to find savings and they will be brought back through the deliberations.”
Another focus is ensuring the capital program is “realistic of we can actually deliver next financial year”.
The council will be looking at projects that won’t be delivered this year and asking “why we need to carry them over, because if there's no good reason, then they are out”
They will also have to account for the “ongoing fuel price saga” in the budgets.
Gliddon acknowledged the new council is dealing with the consequences of not revisiting and revising the previous annual plan budget.
“In hindsight, not reassessing the [2025/26] annual plan budget hasn't really put us in a great position, especially when we're looking at what we're going to actually achieve and deliver in this financial year.”
Their southern neighbours at the Ashburton District Council are set to consider if they need to rewrite their annual plan to factor in fuel cost escalations.
Ashburton’s draft carries an 8.71% average rates increase and hasn’t gone out for consultation.
The increase is split between 3.7% for its in-house three waters services and 4.96% for everything else.
Further south, Timaru's council has gone with an average rates rise of 9% in its draft annual plan, but only with a 3.7% increase if water rates are excluded.
Waitaki is consulting on a 19% increase – having also had a 45% increase option on the table.
Mayor Mel Tavendale warned that a 19% hike will only just keep their heads above water.
North or Selwyn, Christchurch City Council is proposing an average overall rates increase of 7.96% and Waimakariri’s increase is 4.91%.
By Jonathan Leask
