Kaipara Council seeks feedback on future land drainage districts

Kaipara District Council is seeking feedback on a proposal to simplify its land drainage network, which would see 29 council-administered drainage districts replaced with 10 larger catchment-based districts.

Council currently supports 30 land drainage districts across Kaipara. The Raupō drainage district operates under its own governance structure and is not part of the review. The remaining 29 council-administered districts have not been comprehensively reviewed since 1989.

A review of the current arrangement found that some existing boundaries no longer align with natural drainage catchments or the properties benefiting from drainage infrastructure. This means some landowners may be contributing towards services from which they receive limited benefit, while some properties that benefit may not currently contribute, the Council said in a statement.

Mayor, Jonathan Larsen says the review is ultimately about fairness.

“These drainage districts have served our communities for many years, but the way land is used and our understanding of drainage catchments have changed over time,” said Mayor Larsen.

“We need a drainage system where there is a clearer connection between who benefits and who pays. The proposed changes are about addressing some long-standing inconsistencies while making sure we have a robust method of funding these important services into the future.”

The proposal is to consolidate the 29 districts into 10 larger districts based on natural hydrological catchments. Three funding and boundary options are being put forward for public consultation – consolidating into 10 larger districts and retaining land value as the basis for calculating drainage rates, using land area instead, or keeping the current 29 districts and continuing unchanged.

Council says the changes would affect properties differently – some could pay a drainage targeted rate for the first time, while others could see an increase or decrease depending on the final boundaries and funding approach adopted. Notification of the proposed changes and options for giving feedback will be sent directly to more than 1,600 landowners affected by the proposal.

Submissions open 9 November and close at 5pm on 29 November. There are three drop-in sessions, plus an online option for affected residents during the consultation period. Find out more at kaipara.govt.nz/drainage-district-review.

Council says feedback will help inform its decisions on the future structure and funding of drainage districts and the Long Term Plan 2027–2037.