Council improves decision-making process for core service support

Hurunui District Council has adopted a new Strategic Direction, in line with the Local Government Amendment Bill, to set up a clear framework for how decisions are made, where public money is allocated and determines when Council leads, supports or steps back from new initiatives.

The strategy, developed with extensive input from elected members, is built around three distinct tiers of activity – Core Services, Enabling Communities and Strategic Projects.

The first tier ‘Core Services’ establishes an ‘Always On’ approach to reliable, efficient and affordable delivery of roading and bridges, waste services, regulatory functions and emergency management. This tier also ensures significant assets such as Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa and the newly established Kaikōura Hurunui Water Services, are managed to a high standard for the long-term benefit of the district.

The second tier recognises that Hurunui's rural and self-reliant communities often have the will and capacity to lead their own outcomes. Rather than taking over, Council will when appropriate facilitate, advocate and provide targeted support where clear criteria are met, helping those communities achieve results while keeping long-term costs to ratepayers in check.

The third tier — Strategic Projects — sets a deliberately high bar for the occasions when Council must step beyond its everyday role to lead a significant district-wide initiative. Any such project will be subject to a rigorous seven-stage decision process, requiring full Council approval and transparent assessment of financial, community and risk factors before any commitment is made.

Mayor Marie Black responded to this top-down strategic approach by saying “This is a welcome move to help local government refocus on the "basics"—such as roading, core infrastructure, water and waste minimisation - which directly aligns with the demands of the Hurunui ratepayers. A focus on operational efficiencies will help ensure scarce resources are not overstretched.”

The strategy will be attached to the Long-Term Plan 2027–2037 as a reference document and published on Council's website in July 2026, to be reviewed at the beginning of each electoral term.