Provision of Services

By the 2015/16 year, 9,649 properties had access to water and 9,143 had access to wastewater. By 2016/17 this increased to 9,706 properties with access to water and 9,217 properties with access to waste water. The 2017/18 figures were not available at the time of writing.

From 2017/18 Council has changed the method to count properties provided with services; there was an inaccuracy in the numbers once, commercial properties were being added to the figures. For 2017/18 the numbers of residential properties provided with services were 8,525 and for 2018/19, 8,634. The reason for the substantial drop in numbers from 2016/17 to 2017/18 is the exclusion of commercial properties from the count. However, when we consider 2017/18 and 2018/19 figures, there is an increase of 109 residential properties provided with services.

The Morrinsville water supply will support the forecast population growth over the next five years, with a new bore completed in 2014/15 and the construction of a new reservoir, completed in October 2017. The upgraded Morrinsville wastewater plant will have sufficient capacity well into the future.

A new bore was drilled at Waharoa in 2014/15 to reduce the demand on the Matamata reticulation network, but there has been no increase in the volume of water that Council is permitted to extract. A larger reservoir has been established at the Matamata water treatment plant. The town’s sewer plant was upgraded in 2011 and has adequate capacity for forecast growth, but an upgrading of reticulation will be required.

The Te Aroha water supply is adequate for residential growth, in 2019 Te Aroha West was connected to the Te Aroha’s threated reticulation system. However, if water consumption by industrial users increases significantly, upgrading of treatment facilities will be required. Council budgeted $2 million in 2016/17 for the Te Aroha Water Treatment Plant capacity expansion project. The progression of this project is dependent on demand from industrial consumers, which has not yet been established.

The Te Aroha waste water plant has adequate capacity to meet forecast population growth in the town.

What Council Is Doing

Council wishes to encourage new development within existing zone boundaries where possible, as infrastructure services are readily available. This should result in contiguous growth within urban areas. In 2016/17, Council notified for submission Plan Change 47 which, as part of reviewing the extent of existing zoning in our three main towns, proposed a reduction in the minimum lot size for residential zoned properties, and for infill subdivision properties close to the town centres.

Infill subdivisions are subdivisions in residential areas, on lots with existing dwellings. In 2015/16, 11 new infill lots were created and in 2016/17, 28 new residential infill lots were created. In 2017/18, there were 22 new infill lots. Smaller developments are likely to subdivide existing residential properties, whereas larger developments are more likely to create residential development on previously undeveloped land.

Development contributions are collected by Council from developers to assist in providing works and services to residential communities. They are paid when a development has been completed.

In 2015/16, the number of development and financial contributions increased by about a fifth over the previous year, but their value more than doubled. The amount collected from Residential development, roading, and works and network utility development contributions all rose considerably from the previous year. In 2016/17, the number of contributions climbed again. In 2017/18, the number and value of development contributions more than tripled, in line with a three-fold increase in Residential development. In 2018/19, the number of development and financial contributions increased by 14% with the amount collected increased by 68%.

Number and value of development and financial contributions collected per year 

Includes Network contributions and Parks and Reserves contributions

Council spends considerable amounts of money on maintaining and upgrading urban services such as sewerage, water and stormwater. Council spent $11,281,143 in 2016/1, $15,816,111 in 2017/18 and $12,002,111 in 2018/19.

What You Can Do To Help

Support and encourage residential development in line with the Council’s resource management policies.

How are we Doing?

Anticipated Environmental Results Amenity	Achieved? Achieving Progress towards achievement Not Achieving Not Monitored
Contiguous, orderly expansion of residential zoning onto the finite good quality soils
All land titles are to be useable now and for future generations
Land titles must not compromise the achievement of the Plan’s objectives and policies
More equitable funding of Council services
Reduction of public funding of infrastructure servicing private development

Click here to learn more about District Plan Effectiveness and read the full report on Residential Growth

For More Information

Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or
Customer Services
Matamata-Piako District Council
PO Box 266, Te Aroha 3342
Phone: 07 884 0060
Fax: 07 884 8865