Where the Council gets its money, what we spend it on, and how much is paid for by your rates.
The Council gets its money from a range of sources, including rates, borrowing, money from user charges and government grants, such as for Te Kaha, shovel-ready projects, and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency for roading.
This section outlines how much money comes from each source and what we will spend it on this year, including both operating spending and capital investment.
Where the money comes from
In 2026/2027, only 56% of our total funding will come from your rates, as shown in the table below.
| Sources of Council funding | % |
|---|---|
| Rates | 56% |
| Borrowing | 19% |
| Fees, charges and operational subsidies | 13% |
| Dividends and interest | 5% |
| Capital contributions, grants and subsidies | 3% |
| Development contributions | 2% |
| Movement in reserves | 1% |
| Asset sales | 1% |
| Total | 100% |
What we'll spend this year
In 2026/2027, we will spend a total of $1.63 billion on operating and capital costs. The table below shows where we plan to spend the funding collected.
The other classification includes $66 million of interest costs, either externally recovered or not allocated to Groups of Activities. Capital expenditures for Te Kaha ($12 million) and IT projects are also included.
| Total Council spending by activity | $000 | % |
|---|---|---|
| Three waters | $472,337 | 29% |
| Transport | $261,615 | 16% |
| Other | $139,397 | 9% |
| Communities and citizens | ||
| Recreation and sport | $96,814 | 6% |
| Libraries | $69,258 | 4% |
| Community development and facilities | $55,110 | 3% |
| Art Gallery / Museums | $16,355 | 1% |
| Communities and citizens – other | $15,973 | 1% |
| Parks, heritage and coastal environment | $162,985 | 10% |
| Solid waste and resource recovery | $96,957 | 6% |
| Debt repayment | $91,097 | 6% |
| Regulatory and compliance | $81,593 | 5% |
| Strategic planning and policy | $20,911 | 1% |
| Governance | $19,999 | 1% |
| Housing | $19,919 | 1% |
| Economic development | $16,557 | 1% |
| Total | $1,636,877 | 100% |
