Napier City Response-Recovery Actions

We want our residents and businesses to know that we are here to help. If you have any questions, or just need direction on where to go for help, please call us.

To find out more about Napier's Recovery Plan - Recovery Plan

These Council initiatives supported Napier through the immediate 2020 post-lockdown pandemic recovery period. Some are still ongoing.

2020 Initiatives:

• Removed rates late payment penalties for rest of 2019/20
• Rapid supplier payments with seven-day terms
• Monthly relief from car park leases (given one month at a time) until Alert Level 2 began
• Review of the Rates Postponement Policy – requests can be considered under Special Circumstances
• Proposed Rates Relief Package for 2021, subject to funding
• Reduced rates penalties payments for first two quarters of 2020/21 (3.5%)
• Seeking applications for Government funding for shovel-ready capital projects that support local employment
• Establishment of a Napier City Recovery Team to provide community-focused projects for Napier’s recovery
• Support Local campaign – regional and Napier-specific, including partnering with other groups to encourage residents to support local businesses
• Approved up to $1 million for projects to assist Napier and its recovery
• $50,000 Rapid Response Fund to help non-profit social service and community organisations support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Napier (all funding is now allocated)
• Reviewed the 2020/21 budget to find further savings and keep rates as low as possible
• Reduced rates from the original proposed 6.5% for the Annual Plan to 4.8% with a proposal to use reserves funding for the operating gap to relieve pressure on rates for 2020/21.  Consultation occurred in June.
• Support for individuals and businesses - Make a plan
• Tailored advice to enable licensed food premises to operate safely
• Prompt building and resource consent processing at all Alert Levels
• Investigating  options for completion of Hawke’s Bay Airport’s terminal upgrade (read more here)
• Libraries remaining active online - Napier Libraries 
• Investigating opportunities for safe walking and cycling while maintaining physical distancing
• Deferring payments for different licence types such as food, liquor.
• Working alongside Te Taiwhenua o Te Whanganui a Orotu during the pandemic recovery
• Supported the HB Civil Defence Group Emergency Co-ordination Centre
• Welfare phone calls to the community during lockdown
• Working with the Ministry of Social Development to identify and retrain the unemployed.

Additionally, ratepayers and residents had the chance to provide feedback on Council’s proposed rates relief options and other recovery initiatives in the draft Annual Plan 2020/21. These included:

• A residential and commercial rates rebate in 2020/21 for those in serious hardship
• Rates remission and postponement options
• Removing rates penalties for last quarter this financial year 2019/20
• Reducing our rates penalty charges during the first two quarters in 2020/21
• Providing rent and lease relief for commercial customers