Environment Southland (ES) is to consider a hike in rates of between 6.9% and 8.5% as part of it's annual plan, at Wednesday's council meeting (3 May).

ES's 10 year Long-term Plan allowes for just a 5% increase in the 2023/24 year.

ES Chairman Nicol Horrell said councillors had held the rate increase to 5% last year [2022] in the face of 7% inflation, but that this is not sustainable.

“Prices are going up across the board. The cost of doing our work has increased by about 9%, which is $3.9 million higher than forecast in the 2021-2031 Long-term Plan."

“Inflation is higher than predicted, creating an economic situation of supply challenges, labour shortfalls, rising costs and high interest rates, to which we are not immune."

“In the face of these pressures, the council has looked at its own expenditure and worked hard to keep any rates increase as low as possible, while still delivering the services we committed to in the Long-term Plan,” Horrell said.

Key work programmes include improving Southland’s climate resilience through flood defences and progressing the freshwater and land work.

These programmes sit alongside all our other services, from consenting and compliance to biosecurity, land sustainability and the harbourmaster.

ES won't be conducting any formal consultations on the 2023/24 annual plan, but ratepayers are welcome to email feedback to [email protected] or talk to their regional councillor, their statement said.