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The Annual Plan outlines our budget, funding impacts, and any changes to the projects and funding from the Long-Term Plan.
The 2025 Annual Plan resulted in an overall rates increase of 5.5% in the 2025/26 year which was a significant drop from the 13.8% originally forecast in the Long-Term Plan.
Contributing to the less than forecast rates increase were cuts to some planned public transport upgrades, reprioritisation of environmental implementation funding, reduced inflation costs and work to gain efficiencies.
The annual plan focused on finding efficiencies in ORC’s work programme while continuing vital work that underpins resilient and well supported communities.
Ratepayers have also benefitted from an increase to the Port Otago dividend – raised by $2 million which helps to offset costs that would otherwise need to be paid by rates.
Also benefitting ratepayers, $2 million of Council reserves will be used to pay for the first year of a new environmental fund.
Key changes in the year ahead include some targeted upgrades to public transport, increased environmental funding, and further work on natural hazards and engineering.
A rates increase is still required to help fund this work. This includes the investment in climate change and biodiversity strategies, as well as rising costs in areas like insurance, depreciation, and property rentals.
Improving bus services remains a priority and some upgrades are planned for the 2025/26 year.
A large-scale environmental fund will start in 2025/26, designed to support large community-led initiatives that deliver enduring environmental outcomes in Otago.
The $2 million a year fund will be paid for by Council reserves in the first year.
Planned work in 2025/26 includes investigations looking at hazards in Middlemarch and for Lindsay Creek (North Dunedin), resilience work for the Kaikorai Stream near Green Island, and river mouth monitoring technology installation in key areas.
The overall rates increase for 2025/26 is 5.5% but the rates impact for individual properties is different and can be influenced by a range of things including location and the services provided.
Less than half of ORC’s funding comes from rates — the rest is from fees and charges, grants, reserves, dividends from Port Otago and investment income.
District | Median CV | Rates 2024/25 | Rates 2025/26 | Increase $ | Increase % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Central Otago | 740,000 | $332.23 | $340.94 | $8.71 | 2.62% |
Clutha | 370,000 | $283.10 | $296.04 | $12.94 | 4.57% |
Dunedin with public transport rate | 590,000 | $410.54 | $436.41 | $25.87 | 6.30% |
Dunedin – other | 590,000 | $263.49 | $272.77 | $9.28 | 3.52% |
Queenstown with public transport rate | 1,475,000* | $635.00 | $642.18 | $7.18 | 1.13% |
Queenstown – other | 1,475,000* | $482.37 | $493.61 | $11.24 | 2.33% |
Waitaki with public transport rate | 425,000 | $359.13 | $381.33 | $22.20 | 6.18% |
Waitaki – other | 430,000 | $258.93 | $263.39 | $4.46 | 1.72% |
* Queenstown Lakes District has updated valuations.
The 2025-2026 Annual Plan continues our commitment to raising Otago’s environmental standards, supporting communities to be more resilient in the face of climate change, improving and restoring land and water quality, and improving public transport.
Council schedule of fees and charges from 1 July 2025 has been set through the annual plan.
The Otago Regional Council "Long-Term Plan" (LTP) is prepared in consultation with our community. The LTP sets out what we plan to deliver across a three-year planning cycle. The LTP also looks out, in less detail, 10 years.
July 2025
PDF | 7 MB
The Annual Plan for 2025/26 outlines our goals and priorities for the year ahead.
June 2023
ISBN 978-0-908324-86-6
PDF | 1 MB
This Annual Plan 2023-2024 (AP) reflects the results of a process that has decided required adjustments to the adopted Otago Regional Council Long-term Plan 2021-31 (LTP).
July 2022
ISBN: 978-0-908324-81-1
PDF | 21 MB
This Annual Plan 2022-2023 (AP) reflects the results of a process that decides what adjustments, if any, are required to the adopted Otago Regional Council Long-term Plan 2021-31 (LTP).
June 2020
PDF | 2 MB
July 2019
PDF | 2 MB
July 2017
PDF | 9 MB
This Annual Plan concentrates on the 2017/18 year. Details of what we want to do and estimates of cost have been provided. Where specific changes have been made from the Long Term Plan, explanations are provided at the start of each of the activity groups of this plan.
June 2016
PDF | 5 MB
This Annual Plan concentrates on the 2016/17 year. Details of what we want to do and estimates of cost have been provided. Where specific changes have been made from the Long Term Plan, explanations are provided at the start of each of the activity groups of this plan.