Our Whitianga office will be closed to the public on Friday 26 April. Our staff are still working and can be contacted via our freephone 0800 800 401.

Close alert

Level of Service and Funding Policy

  1. Council »
  2. Policies and Plans »
  3. Hazard and catchment management »
  4. Level of Service and Funding Policy

Full document as a PDF >> Level of Service and Funding Policy [PDF, 772 KB]

Table of contents

  Acknowledgements
  Glossary
  Map 1: Project Watershed Boundary
1 Summary
2 Introduction
  2.1 Project Watershed
  2.2 Project Issues
  2.3 Objectives and Management Directions
    2.3.1 Objectives
    2.3.2 Management Directions
  2.4 Tangata Whenua Interests
  2.5 Asset Management Plans
  2.6 Costs Including Capital Expenditure
  2.7 Cost Benefit Analysis
  2.8 Assumptions and Risks
    2.8.1 Assumptions
    2.8.2 Risks
3 Funding Legislation
  3.1 Local Government Act 1974 Part VIIa (as amended by the Local Government Amendment Act 1996)
  3.2 Rating Powers Act 1988
  3.3 Local Government (Rating) Act 2002
4 Beneficiaries and Contributors
  4.1 Identification and Allocation Process
  4.2 Direct Benefits
  4.3 Local Community Benefit
  4.4 Regional Community Benefit
  4.5 Contributors to the Need for the Service
  4.6 Alleviators
  4.7 Crown Contribution
  4.8 Hydro Electric Effects
5 General Funding Principles
  5.1 Application of Funding Principles
6 River Management
  6.1 Introduction
  6.2 General Beneficiaries and Contributors
7 Flood Protection
  7.1 Introduction
  7.2 General Beneficiaries and Contributors
8 Soil Conservation
  8.1 Introduction
  8.2 Soil Conservation Programme
  8.3 General Beneficiaries and Contributors
9 Catchment Oversight and Information and Advice
  9.1 Catchment Oversight
  9.2 Information and Advice
  9.3 Benefits and Contributors
10 Consultation Overview
    Map 2: Project Watershed Management Zones
    Map 3: Project Watershed Liaison Subcommittee Representation
11 Lake Taupo Management Zone
  11.1 Description
  11.2 Consultation
  11.3 Service Level Options and Justification
    11.3.1 Soil Conservation
    11.3.2 River Management
    11.3.3 Flood Protection
  11.4 Costs
  11.5 Beneficiaries and Contributors
12 Upper Waikato Management Zone
  12.1 Description
  12.2 Consultation
  12.3 Service Level Options and Justification
    12.3.1 Soil Conservation
    12.3.2 River Management
    12.3.3 Flood Protection
  12.4 Cost
  12.5 Beneficiaries and Contributors
13 Middle Waikato Management Zone
  13.1 Description
  13.2 Consultation
  13.3 Service Level Options and Justification
    13.3.1 Soil Conservation
    13.3.2 River Management
  13.4 Cost
  13.5 Beneficiaries and Contributors
    13.5.1 Hamilton City and Other Urban Areas
14 Waipa Management Zone
  14.1 Description
  14.2 Consultation
    14.2.1 Upper Waipa
    14.2.2 Middle Waipa
  14.3 Service Level Options and Justification
    14.3.1 Soil Conservation
    14.3.2 River Management and Flood Protection
  14.4 Cost
  14.5 Beneficiaries and Contributors
15 Lower Waikato Management Zone
  15.1 Description
  15.2 Consultation
  15.3 Service Level Options and Justification
    15.3.1 Soil Conservation
    15.3.2 Flood Protection and River Management
  15.4 Costs
  15.5 Beneficiaries and Contributors
16 Project Watershed Funding Policy
  16.1 Preamble
  16.2 Step 1 - Who benefits from the activity, what is the extent of that benefit and who contributes to the cost of the activity
    16.2.1 Recovery of Costs at Time of Benefit
    16.2.2 Allocation of Costs to Five Zones and to Significant Activities within each Zone
    16.2.3 Benefits to the Wider Community
      Regional Community Benefit
    16.2.4 Benefits Received by Individuals or Identifiable Categories of People
    16.2.5 Contributions by Individuals or Groups to the Need for the Service
    16.2.6 Summary - Step One
  16.3 Step 2 - Evaluation against criteria
    16.3.1 Obligation to Act in the Interests of its Residents and Ratepayers
    16.3.2 Fairness and Equity of any Allocation of Costs
    16.3.3 Lawful Council Policy is Effectively and Appropriately Promoted by Funding Policies
    16.3.4 Avoiding Significant Adjustment Difficulties for any Person(s) Arising from Changes in the way Costs are Allocated
    16.3.5 Summary Step Two
  16.4 Step 3 - Identification of appropriate funding mechanism
    16.4.1 The Funding Mechanisms Available
    16.4.2 The Efficiency of those Funding Mechanisms
    16.4.3 The Efficiency of Implementing New Systems as Opposed to the Use of Existing Mechanisms
    16.4.4 The Transparency of Funding Mechanisms in Terms of Allowing Clear Identification of the Links Between Costs Allocated and Expenditure Needs to Which They Relate
    16.4.5 Summary - Step Three
  16.5 Funding policies by zone and activity will be:
    16.5.1 Lake Taupo
    16.5.2 Upper Waikato
    16.5.3 Middle Waikato
    16.5.4 Waipa
    16.5.5 Lower Waikato
17 Differential Rating Systems
  17.1 Lower Waikato Flood Protection Differential Rating System
  17.2 Tauranga-Taupo River Flood Protection Differential Rating System
  17.3 Tongariro River Flood Protection Differential Rating System
18 Financial Implications
  18.1 Impact on Expenditure and Funding Requirement
  18.2 Rating Factors
  Bibliography
    Asset Management Plans/Reports
    Economic Reports
    Funding Policy/Reviews
    River Management
    Soil Conservation
    Water Quality
  Appendix 1: Relationship Between Project Watershed and the Environment Waikato Riparian Project
  Appendix 2: Strategic Plan
  Appendix 3: Technical Consultants
  Appendix 4: Accounting Policies
  Appendix 5: Relevant Legislation
    Local Government Act 1974 Part VIIa (as amended by the Local Government Act 1996)
    Rating Powers Act 1988
    Local Government (Rating) Act 2002
  Appendix 6: Summary of Formal Consultation and Deliberations