Part of the Regulatory Compliance activity deals with regulating air quality and the work focuses on urban areas. In our 2021-2031 Long Term Plan, a flat targeted rate over the Rotorua urban area funded 50% of the operating costs of Rotorua air quality regulatory compliance work, with the balance from general rates. During the current review, we recognised the wider community benefit of the regulatory work and propose to fund air quality services more consistently across the region.

As a result, the proposal for 2024-2034 is to fund Rotorua air quality regulatory compliance work (excluding clean heat loans and grants) from general rates, which is consistent with the funding approach for air quality work in other urban areas.

The impact of this proposal is to shift around $150,000 of targeted rates to general rates. This means a reduction in the targeted rates for Rotorua properties of $4. General rates for all properties would increase, depending on the size of the property. For the average value property, the increase would be $0.67 in 2024/25.