Selwyn’s draft budget is shaping as a 6% rate rise for 2026/27, but some councillors feel they “can do better”.

Councillors discussed the draft budgets at the finance and performance committee meeting on Wednesday, and committee chairperson Aaron McGlinchey said the 6-7% range “is very much a draft starting point”.

“We are not accepting 6%, we are keen to see if we can do better.”

Cr Samuel Wilshire believed the council could do better.

“We owe it to our ratepayers to do better”.

He had support from Cr Denise Carrick, who would “prefer a number between 4-5%”.

The long-term plan had forecast a 13.3% increase, but the councillors and staff identified an estimated 7.2% ($9.2m) of savings.

Increasing dog fees and resources and building consent fees is tipped to save ratepayers $2.6m.

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon reiterated the current forecast was a draft and there is still work to be done.

“We have a bit to do.

“There are still additional savings that I think that we can find, but there is still a process to take place as well”.

The key piece of the process is the six-week consultation with the community, she said.

The 6% council rates increase is separate to Selwyn Water Limited, the new Council Controlled Organisation that has taken over the water and wastewater services. It was still to present its budgets for 2026/27.

Cr Sophie McInnes said, as was signalled with a rates capping plan, a lot of the budget savings will shift costs to increased user-pay charges.

“That may include a lot of fees and charges, which people may not have realised used to have a rates subsidisation component.

“That’s the sort of thing that has to end if we are going to be meeting those targets the Government is likely to set and also our community’s expecting.”

Other savings included slowing down the economic development programme ($650,000), reducing grant funding ($260,000), stopping funding for some events ($200,000), and reducing the capital works programme ($400,000).

The councillors also plan to review the $16.1m Whata Rau Leeston Community centre and library and the new District park in Rolleston, with a stage one budgetd for $28.5m stage one.

Cr Tracey Macleod wanted to make it clear that the intention to review some major capital projects is “not about abandoning the projects”.

“It’s about looking at other ways to provide what these communities will use and what they need, and to make sure we are doing that in the most effective and efficient way.”

MacLeod also said she would have preferred to have Selwyn Water Ltd's budget numbers at the same time the council draft was released to provide the community with the full financial picture.

The council went into a public excluded session to further discuss the draft budget and the cost-saving options.

By Jonathan Leask