Ngā hua tāke kaunihera Your rates at work

After agreeing to pick up the rating for public transport region-wide through our last long term plan, we wanted to ensure the way we collect rates for these services is as fair, simple and efficient as possible.

Through our annual plan consultation in April, we proposed a rating model that acknowledged different levels of access to a range of community and public transport services throughout the region.

The only thing that changes is how we collect the part of public transport funding that comes from rates (not from bus fares or other funding sources such as advertising).

The new model doesn’t impact the total amount or rates collected in Hamilton relative to other parts of the region, only the way those rates are distributed between properties of different value within Hamilton.

It also does not impact the total amount of rates collected across the region for public transport. So, while it may result in some households paying slightly more, others should pay slightly less.

Ratepayers in the Waikato region that live in Hamilton, Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki and Matamata-Piako will already have a line item on their Waikato Regional Council rates bills for public transport. However, with Waikato Regional Council picking up the rating responsibility from district councils and the introduction of the new rating model, ratepayers in all districts across the region will now see this line item.

• Transport safety remains an ongoing problem for our region. We will develop a new Road Safety Strategy for the region in collaboration with territorial authorities and other road safety partners.
  
  
• To make it easier to use public transport in New Zealand, a new ticketing and payment system – Motu Move – has been created. We are supporting the Waikato region’s transition to the national ticketing solution, in conjunction with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
  
  
• We’re collaborating with other councils on the delivery of the Hamilton-Waikato Metro Spatial Plan which will support growth and respond to current and future challenges. Hamilton is at the core of this metropolitan area, which extends from Taupiri in the north to Te Awamutu and Cambridge in the south.
  
  
• The trial of the Waikato-Auckland passenger train service, Te Huia, is due to end in mid-2026. In addition to supporting its daily operations and preparing an end-of-trial report for the NZTA Board, we’ll be preparing a business case to support Te Huia becoming a permanent public transport service.

• We’re responsible for flood management and land drainage schemes. This infrastructure plays a critical role in protecting communities and critical infrastructure, like roads and electricity networks, from risks. We’ll be reviewing our approach to infrastructure funding this year and testing recommended options through the next LTP that will deliver a sustainable model for communities.
  
  
• The Whangamarino Wetland is the second largest bog and swamp complex in the North Island and Lake Waikare is the largest lake in the lower Waikato basin. The wetland is of international significance and the lake exhibits high levels of biodiversity. We’re developing a catchment action plan to identify, test and promote options for the rehabilitation of these important sites, working with local landowners, iwi, community groups and other agencies.
  
  
• Our regional coastal plan is the rulebook for activities from the high tide mark to 12 nautical miles (approximately 20 kilometres) out to sea. Public hearings closed in July and the coastal plan decisions from the hearings and call for appeals are expected to be released later in 2025.

Read more about our science, policy and information work:

Following public consultation in April, we’re implementing a new river and catchment programme for the Wharekawa Coast to improve the communityʼs resilience to extreme weather events.

The programme is estimated to cost $150,000 per annum over 10 years and we’re funding most of it (70 per cent) through a new targeted rate, with 30 per cent to be funded through the general rate.

For ratepayers outside the Wharekawa community, the cost equates to around 2 cents per $100,000 of capital value (CV).

Through public consultation, feedback was sought on how we should fund the 70 per cent targeted rate component that would be paid by the Wharekawa community.

The councilʼs preferred option was for the targeted rate component to be split into two rating zones, with direct beneficiaries paying more (70 per cent of the targeted rate component) and indirect beneficiaries paying less (30 per cent of the targeted rate component).

Following careful consideration of the feedback received, alongside staff recommendations, councillors decided to proceed with the split rating option, with one slight alteration. Residents in the southern area fronting the Firth of Thames, where the land drainage activities of Hauraki District Council overlap with activities proposed by Waikato Regional Council, will now be rated at the indirect rather than the direct beneficiary rate.

• Exotic freshwater clams (Corbicula) and exotic caulerpa seaweed are both invasive species that can quickly spread and dominate underwater environments, with significant ecological impacts on native species and potential impacts on infrastructure and tourism. This year, we’re working to support the transition to long term management for both of these species.
  
  
• Our Natural Heritage Partnership Programme is all about increasing biodiversity, inspiring and educating people to help them get involved, and supporting community groups to lead their own projects. This year we’ll be growing the Natural Heritage Partnership Programme by providing increased funding for community groups.

Read more about our integrated catchment management work:

• We manage more than $1.12 billion of flood protection and land drainage assets for the region. We’ve developed a Sustainable Infrastructure Decision-making Framework to support best practice decisions on long-term investments in these assets that balance the needs of our communities. This year we’ll be planning for its implementation. This will include the investigation of nature-based solutions to help mitigate flooding.
  
  
• We’re continuing construction work to replace a 1960s pump station with a new one at Island Block near Meremere. This will increase pumping capacity to meet climate change projections, enable the safe migration of tuna (eels) to the sea and reduce the impacts from potential flooding to productive farmland around Meremere and the Whangamarino Wetland – a site of high environmental and cultural value. We’ll also be upgrading stopbanks and floodgates in the Lower Waikato and carrying out fencing and planting work in the Thames Valley.
  
  
• The Thames Coast is naturally prone to flooding, posing risks to lives and livelihoods, so it’s important we keep our flood schemes up to date to keep communities safe. This year we’ll be completing and implementing Thames Coast Flood Scheme reviews to ensure we’re prepared.

Read more about our flood protection work:

Following our public consultation in April, we made a change to the remissions we offer, introducing a new remission policy for the primary industry compliance rate (which impacts properties of 20ha or more).

This was designed to recognise that properties subject to the targeted rate that were covered in large areas of bush would not benefit from our primary industry compliance activities.

You can find our full list of remissions policies, including the new remission of the primary industry compliance rate, on our rates remission and postponement page.

• We provide maritime services to maintain safe and navigable waterways in the region. This year, we’ll also be looking after maritime safety functions at the Port of Taharoa upon transfer of the function from Maritime NZ to Waikato Regional Council.
  
  
• Waikato Regional Plan Change 1: Waikato and Waipā river catchments is the first step in a long term journey to improve the water quality of the Waikato and Waipā rivers so they are safe for food gathering along their entire length and meet the requirements of Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato, the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River. We’ll be working to establish streamlined processes for implementation of this plan change and to support the rural sector to meet their regulatory obligations.
  
  
• Resource consents are required for activities that may affect the environment or communities. We’ll continue to provide efficient and effective consenting, compliance monitoring and enforcement processes under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) to enable the sustainable management of natural resources.

• Building public understanding of what candidates stand for is an important part of the democratic process that helps ensure elected representatives are responsive to community needs. This year, we’ll be working to ensure everyone is well informed and empowered to participate in the 2025 local election.
  
  
• In accordance with the Local Government Act 2002, we’re committed to strengthening Māori capacity to actively participate in our decision-making processes. Iwi engage with lots of different organisations and authorities, including central and local government. This can stretch limited resources, hindering capacity to meaningfully participate. We recognise that true partnership and meaningful engagement require all parties to have adequate capacity, so we’ll be facilitating active iwi participation in the council's collaborative programmes and projects using the iwi capacity fund.
  
  
• Ensuring decision making through our democratic processes is conducted in an open and transparent manner is vital as it keeps elected members accountable to the communities they serve. We’ll be continuing this important work this year, which includes livestreaming meetings so you can see how key decisions are made.

• We work to strengthen community resilience across our region, so we can adapt to a changing climate and bounce back from natural disasters. We’ll continue to collaborate with territorial authorities, iwi and communities to provide natural hazard risk and resilience information as they work through the adaptation planning process (priority areas include the floodplains of the Lower Waikato, Waihou and Piako rivers). 
  
  
• We work closely with local authorities, iwi and other groups. This year, we’ll be engaging with iwi and key stakeholders on a regional resilience strategy that will set out how weʼll increase regional resilience to natural hazard risks.
  
  
• Water resource modelling uses computer simulations to understand and predict the behaviour of water systems, including flow, quality and availability. It helps us anticipate and plan for the impacts of different scenarios. We’ll be undertaking enhanced water resource modelling across the region to assist with internal decision making and to provide advice and information to our iwi partners, territorial authorities and communities.

• We work to ensure emergency response readiness, so we have the capability and resources to respond to an emergency event to achieve the best outcomes for communities. This year, we’ll be implementing the Group Plan Actions 2025/26 to guide regional emergency management priorities and actions.
  
  
• Effective coordination is essential in emergency situations, so we’ll continue to work in partnership with iwi, local authorities, emergency services and community organisations to ensure a coordinated and inclusive approach to emergency management.
  
  
• Community readiness is an important part of effective emergency responses, so we’ll be delivering training and awareness programmes that enable community-led emergency management preparedness and responses.