What was behind the changes?

New bus fare structure
92% of people who submitted on the draft Annual Plan supported a reduction in bus fares. In response, we will establish a new bus fare structure from February, 2023 for a two-year trial period. This will require a $2.3 million increase in rates revenue.

Additional public transport features
Improvements in driver and customer safety, an extension to SuperGold card benefits and inflation will add a further $4.7 million to public transport costs.

Borrowing for flood recovery
To fund recovery from the May 2021 flood, we will borrow up to $6.1 million in 2022/23 and up to $6.1 million in 2023/24 and pay that back over a 10- year period from general rates.

General reserves
General reserves provide funding for unexpected events and smoothing of expenditure fluctuations. These are replenished from rates as required. To replenish our General Reserve to the $3 million minimum limit noted in our Reserves Policy, $12 million will be borrowed and repaid from general rates over a five-year period.

Funding for Waitaha Action to Impact Fund
An additional $0.3 million is planned for the Waitaha Action to Impact Fund. This is a contestable fund for community organisations in Canterbury which aim to build community engagement and action for a better environment in the region.

Freshwater Regulatory Framework
We will be using debt funding for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 workstream of the Freshwater Regulatory Framework Package and recovering the costs from general rates over 10 years from the year of borrowing. This will provide a $6.6 million decrease in rates revenue required.

Digital operating efficiencies and changes in programme expenditure
A reduction in expenditure and, where possible, the scale of projects, combined with a more streamlined approach to our digital applications, generated a decrease in rates revenue required of $5.8 million.

Me Uru Rākau
The Me Uru Rākau programme engages and enables landowners and community groups to protect and regenerate priority ecological catchments – we provide practical advice and support for biodiversity, water quality, mahinga kai, climate change mitigation and adaptation. A deferment in funding will provide a $0.9 million decrease in rates revenue required.