Waikato Regional Council's 2025/26 Annual Plan | Mahere ā-Tau is our statement to the community about our proposed finances and activities from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.
Annual plans are largely determined by our long term plan (LTP), although strategic adjustments are sometimes required to ensure planning remains responsive to near-term opportunities and challenges.
For 2025/26, we stuck closely to the programme we signalled in our 2024-2034 LTP.
The budget we set for 2025/26 represents an increase in rates revenue from ratepayers of $10.438 million. This results in an estimated increase in total rates paid by current ratepayers of 5.7 per cent – lower than the 5.9 per cent proposed for consultation, and significantly less than the 8.6 per cent signalled 12 months prior through our 2024-2034 Long Term Plan.
The 2025/26 Annual Plan was adopted by the council on 24 June 2025.
Contents
Mō tēnei mahere | About the plan
Rārangi kaupapa | Contents
Section 1: Whakaritea te wāhi | Setting the scene
Kōrero matua | Message from the chairperson and chief executive
Ngā hua tāke kaunihera | Your rates at work
Ngā putanga ā-hapori | Community outcomes
Whai wāhi ai a Ngāi | Māori Iwi Māori participation
Te Kaupapa Kaitiaki Taupō Catchment Plan
Te Ture Whaimana o te Awa o Waikato Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River
Ngā tīpako pūtea | Financial highlights 2025/26
Section 2: Ngā take matua | Key decisions
Ngā take matua | Key decisions
Section 3: Ko ngā momo mahi | Groups of activities
Kiritaki, hapori, me ngā ratonga | Customer, community and services
Te Rakau Whakamarumaru ā Rohe o Waikato | Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management Group
Ngā mahi hei ārai, hei ārahi hoki i ngā waipuke | Flood protection and control works
Te Whakahaere ā-tōpū i te rauwiringa wai | Integrated catchment management
Mōreatanga ā rohe me te whakarata ohotata | Regional hazards and emergency response
Ngā ara hono ā-rohe | Regional transport connections
Te Whakamahinga o te taiao | Resource use
Pūtaiao, kaupapahere me te mōhiohio | Science, policy and information
Whakapaunga utu mō ia momo mahi | Operational expenditure by group of activities
Utunga reiti mō ia momo mahi | Rates revenue by group of activities
Section 4: Pūtea | Finances
Ngā tauākī pūtea ki te pae | Prospective financial statements
Ngā tauākī pānga pūtea mā te kāhui mahi | Funding impact statements by group of activity
Te tauākī pānga pūtea ā-tau | Annual funding impact statement for 2025/26
Te rārangi o ngā nama me ngā utu | Schedule of fees and charges
Ngā pānga ā-reiti mō ngā whenua tauira | Rating impacts for sample properties