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International credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s has upgraded Christchurch City Council’s financial Credit Rating to AA (Stable outlook). The agency says that this upgrade is supported by the Council’s record of robust financial management and strong liquidity. The report goes on to say that the Council’s management is strong compared with its global peers,…
Councillors are considering the factors that will impact next year’s rates increase, as they come together on 6 December for the first public briefing on the Draft Annual Plan 2023/24. The Draft Annual Plan is Christchurch City Council’s yearly budget that sets out what it plans to achieve over the coming financial year, and how it…
Christchurch City Council has agreed to provide the organisers of the popular New Zealand Agricultural Show (formerly the Canterbury A&P Show) with a prudent financial safety net. It has approved a loan of up to $1 million for the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association (CAPA) so that it can meet its ongoing financial obligations if…
Former employees of Christchurch City Council can now register claims for pay they may have missed out on due to errors in calculating leave payments under the Holidays Act 2003. These errors were made by many employers, in both the public and private sectors, after an amendment to the Act. The Ministry of Business, Innovation…
The Christchurch Foundation will be receiving less Christchurch City Council funding moving forward. The Council has a legal obligation under a Support Agreement signed in December 2018 to pay the Christchurch Foundation up to $600,000 a year, through until 30 June 2023. However, following the findings of an independent review, the Council asked the Foundation…
Christchurch City Council will soon start paying staff money owed to them under the Holidays Act 2003, after leave entitlements and pay for some staff were inadvertently miscalculated. The Council’s Head of Financial Management Diane Brandish said the first payments would be to current employees. “We have reviewed leave entitlements and payments for current and…
Residents who pay for Christchurch City Council services by cheque will need to find other ways of paying from the end of this month. The Council will not be accepting cheque payments from 30 April 2021 because the three major New Zealand banks are phasing out cheques in May and June of this year. The…
Christchurch City Council is proposing changes to who pays for the city’s vital land drainage work, as part of its Draft Long Term Plan 2021–31. The land drainage targeted rate funds the operating costs of the Council’s stormwater drainage and flood protection and control works. At the moment this rate is only paid by ratepayers…
The policy that Christchurch City Council uses to help it recover some of the costs associated with providing the infrastructure needed to service new growth developments is being reviewed. The current Development Contributions Policy was adopted in 2016 and needs reviewing. The policy details the methodology the Council will use to recover a fair share…
Christchurch City Council has signalled it plans to reduce the amount of funding support it provides to the Christchurch Foundation. The Christchurch Foundation is the charitable organisation that was set up in 2017 to actively collect, manage and distribute funds for a wide range of activities and projects that provide betterment for Christchurch. Under a…
Christchurch City Council’s draft 10-year budget lays the foundation for the city’s continued growth and will ensure the core infrastructure that residents rely on is kept in good condition, says Mayor Lianne Dalziel. Today, the Council agreed in principle to adopt the Draft 2021-31 Long Term Plan and release it for public consultation. It will…
A proposal for a new targeted rate to help fund the restoration of some of Christchurch’s most prominent heritage buildings is included in Christchurch City Council’s 10-year draft budget. “We’re proposing to introduce a heritage targeted rate instead of including all funding for heritage building in the general rate,’’ says Mayor Lianne Dalziel. “This targeted…
A streamlining of opening hours at Christchurch libraries is among the cost-saving measures proposed in Christchurch City Council’s 10-year draft budget. “We’ve looked at when our libraries are at their busiest and when we can reduce opening hours with minimal impact on how, and when, residents like to use their local library. We have also…
The day-to-day costs of providing the services and activities needed to keep Christchurch running are primarily met through rates. In this financial year, rates – the levy that is placed on property owners in the district – accounted for almost half (48 per cent) of Christchurch City Council’s revenue. How much each property owner pays…
Like many of our ratepayers, Christchurch City Council has been hit hard financially by the COVID-19 pandemic and we’re facing very challenging times ahead. We need to support our city as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic after a decade of rebuilding from the earthquakes. We must also prepare for the impact of climate change…
Christchurch City Council is reminding residents, businesses and organisations who are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 crisis that they can apply for more time to pay their rates. Ratepayers will soon receive their first quarterly rates demand for the 2020-21 financial year. Get your rates invoice by email Ratepayers can opt…
Mayor Lianne Dalziel explains how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted on Christchurch City Council’s finances and invites public feedback on the organisation’s new draft budget. The world has changed dramatically over the past few months and we have all been affected in some shape or form by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses and individuals have…
Christchurch City Council has approved a new draft budget that takes into account the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the organisation and on ratepayers. The revised Draft Annual Plan 2020–21 proposes an average residential rate rise of 2.23 per cent, which is an overall average rate increase of 3.5 per cent. For an…
Christchurch City Council staff are recommending a revised budget that provides for an average residential rate rise of 2.23 per cent and an overall rate increase of 3.5 per cent. For an average house with a value of $508,608 that would mean paying an extra $1.19 a week, or $62.05 a year. Read the report…