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Christchurch City Council’s latest briefing on its 2025/26 Annual Plan is underway.

Councillors are today being given a financial overview of the Council, along with a look at what’s proposed for the Transport, Parks and Three Waters units. The briefing will appear online afterwards.

An increase of 8.48% had been signalled for 2025/26 in the Long Term Plan 2024–2034.

“If we make no changes to what was agreed in last year's Long Term Plan, and factoring the inflation rate forecasted by Business and Economic Research, we're looking at a 9.76% overall average rates increase,” says Bede Carran, the Council’s Chief Financial Officer.

“This is our starting position. These briefings are where we discuss how best to chip away at that figure and do our best to drive it down – and we’ll keep at it right up until the final Annual Plan is adopted in June next year.

“Staff have been proposing tweaks to our capital spending, keeping it achievable so that rates stay as low as possible. At the moment, the proposed capital spend for 2025/26 is $737.2 million – $4.9 million lower than what was budgeted.

“The Council's Executive Team is looking at our operational spend this week, and staff continue to look at options to mitigate all rates increases.

“All of these figures are just provisional at this stage, and it's an ongoing process. People will be able to follow the whole thing via our public briefings, and they'll get to weigh in fully in March next year when our Draft Annual Plan goes out for consultation.”

Projects discussed at today’s briefing include the installation of bus lanes on Lincoln Road, how to improve Bromley roads, and alternative options for the Wheels to Wings – Papanui ki Waiwhetū major cycle route.

The next briefing is scheduled for Tuesday 29 October and will cover the Council’s finances and Transport.