FAQs

The annual licence fee gives licence holders the right to occupy the property linked to their licence.

The fee helps cover:

• The costs of ensuring licence conditions (set out in the Deed of Licence) are met
• Water services, including drinking water supply and was water services

The current annual fee is $1,389.

The proposed new fee is $575 per year, which is a significant decrease from the current $1,389. This reduction is because water supply and wastewater service costs are no longer included in the licence fee.

These services, and the assets associated with them, are now owned and operated by Selwyn Water, so they are no longer charged through the licence fee.

The proposed fee will also include funding a dedicated contact person who can handle day to day enquiries, including questions and invoicing

The $575 proposed fee was calculated to cover only the remaining operational costs associated with the licence, including:

• Meeting compliance requirements under the Deed of Licence
• Funding a dedicated staff member to manage everyday support and communication for licence holders

Because water and wastewater charges are being removed, and we are proposing to replace the partial rubbish collection fee with a targeted rate, the proposed cost is much lower than the current $1,389 fee.    

The targeted waste management rate is calculated per property, based on the size of rubbish and recycling bins or crates the licensee choses for their property. 

Currently Upper Selwyn Huts licensees are being charged a partial contribution fee for rubbish collection via the licence fee. This charge does not cover the actual cost of current collection service.    

Charging a targeted rate for providing individual bins or recycling crates provides Upper Selwyn Huts the same service and fees as other properties across the district and reduces the need for additional charges within the licence fee. 

You can find out more about rubbish collection charges.

The targeted rate for the rubbish bins and collection will be determined by the size of wheelie bins and/or crates each licensee choses for the property and is applied to the property rates. 

Rubbish bags are also available in lieu of red waste bins. These are available at Council service centres (5 pack for $20 incl GST) and at Supermarkets. 

Final decisions have not been made, the proposed fee and targeted rate are being consulted on now within the Draft Annual Plan 2026/27. Submissions are open until Sunday 26 April 2026.  

You can provide your feedback on the proposals; 

• Online – complete the online form 
• By email – scan and attach a copy of your feedback and send to yoursay@selwyn.govt.nz. 

Please add ‘Annual Plan USH feedback’ to the subject line and include the following information - Full name, address, whether you hold a current Upper Selwyn Huts licence to occupy, whether you are a Upper Selwyn Huts permanent resident or use a property as a bach/ holiday home, and whether you wish to speak to your submission at the draft Annual Plan hearings (if so, include a daytime phone number you can be contacted on).

• By paper submission form attached to this letter; 
  • Please drop your form into the drop box at any Selwyn District Council facility or,
  • Post your form back no later than Monday 20 April using the free post address: Freepost 104 653 Draft Annual Plan Submissions, PO Box 90, Rolleston 7643.

Anonymous submissions will not be accepted. Submissions, including names, are published on our website, so do not include any personal information you would prefer to keep private within your submission. View our full Privacy Policy at Selwyn.govt.nz/privacy.

Licence holders will need to contact Council on 0800 Selwyn (735 996) and tell us what size bins or crates is needed for the property by 5 July 2026. 

If licence holders do not notify by this date Council rubbish bags can still be used and are available to purchase from supermarkets and Council service centres. The price per pack of 5 bags at Council Service Centres is $20.00 incl GST. 

Hut residents would need to take rubbish bags to the communal collection point on or before 6.30am collection day. There would be no communal bins to place rubbish bags into.

If the Annual Plan 2026/27 is approved with no changes to the proposal, the new targeted rate for rubbish collection would begin from the date the bins have been ordered.

Licence holders would need to advise Council of the bin sizes and types they want by 5 July2026 as coordination of bin stock and delivery takes approximately two weeks.      Communal bins will be removed on Monday 20 July, as new bins are delivered to each property.

Rates invoices would be sent out mid to late July 2026, with the first payment due on 15 September 2026.

The length of the new Deed of Licence has already been confirmed — it will be a 30 year term, with a review at year 20.

However, the terms and conditions of the new Deed are still to be approved.

Once these terms and conditions are finalised, Council will:

• Notify licence holders about the renewal process, and
• Confirm when the new fee will need to be paid.

Licence holders can fill out an Annual Plan submission form to provide their feedback on the proposed licence fee and targeted rate. Submissions close 11.59pm Sunday 26 April 2026.

Selwyn District Council can’t charge a district wide water rate now because ownership and responsibility for delivering drinking water and wastewater services transferred to Selwyn Water in December 2025, meaning the Council no longer provides the service it would be rating for. Selwyn Water is designed to operate independently from Council rates and will fund its services through its own billing system, with direct customer billing beginning from July 2026.

Selwyn Water will inform Upper Selwyn huts licence holders as soon as possible one the fees and charges are confirmed. Selwyn Water will charge and collect fees from licence holders directly. Council will not be involved in coordinating these payments.  Billing will begin July 2026

Selwyn Water must follow the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025 and the Local Government (Water Services) (Repeals and Amendments) Act 2025, which set the rules for how water services are delivered, governed, funded, and regulated in New Zealand. These laws also update other key legislation such as the Commerce Act, Water Services Act, and Local Government Act to introduce economic regulation, consumer protections, and water quality requirements that Selwyn Water must meet.

Signing a new Deed of licence will not change your annual fees, as they are set year on year within the Annual Plan and Long-Term Plan. Under the current Deed of licence council can update and charge the   fee annually.

Signing a new Deed confirms that you agree to adhere to the terms and conditions supplied with that new Deed. It also confirms you agree to the rights the Deed provides you. 

A new Deed of Licence with updated terms and conditions are being developed now and will be presented to Council to approve in April. Once the report is included in the meeting agenda papers Council will send a copy of the report to Licence holders prior to the Council meeting.   

If you choose not to enter into the new Deed, your right to occupy will end. The current licenses are expiring, and the Council will issue new licenses, once the new Terms and Conditions are approved, so that everyone is on the same updated agreement. If you decide not to sign the new Deed of Licence, you will no longer have legal permission to occupy the property.

No choosing not to make a submission means that Council can not take your feedback into consideration when deliberating on the Annual Plan. We recommend anyone who has feedback on the proposals provide their feedback so the councillors have as much information as possible before determining whether to approve the licence fee and targeted rate proposed for rubbish collection. 

There are a number of ways you can provide your feedback. 

• Online – complete the online submission form
• By email – scan and attach a copy of your feedback, and send to yoursay@selwyn.govt.nz. 

Please add ‘Annual Plan USH feedback’ to the subject line and include the following information - Full name, address, whether you hold a current Upper Selwyn Huts licence to occupy, whether you are a Upper Selwyn Huts permanent resident or use a property as a bach/ holiday home, and whether you wish to speak to your submission at the draft Annual Plan hearings (if so, include a daytime phone number you can be contacted on).

• By paper submission form; 
  • Download a form, or pick up a form from any Library and Service centre, fill out then drop your form into the drop box at any Selwyn District Council facility or,
  • Post your form back no later than Monday 20 April using the free post address: Freepost 104 653 Draft Annual Plan Submissions, PO Box 90, Rolleston 7643.

Anonymous submissions will not be accepted. Submissions, including names, are published on our website, so do not include any personal information you would prefer to keep private within your submission. View our full Privacy Policy at Selwyn.govt.nz/privacy.

Council staff reviewed annual licence fees for reserve land occupation within Selwyn District and fees charged by neighbouring councils and the Department of Conservation. From this review, Council determined a nominal annual licence fee component of $250, reflecting the right to occupy a lot on reserve land under a licence agreement.

An additional $250 administration component was included to contribute to the cost of activities associated with managing the Upper Selwyn Huts licences. These activities include liaising with licence holders, processing licence changes, ensuring compliance with the licence terms, and coordinating relevant work across Council teams.

The costs associated with Council’s administration of the Upper Selwyn Huts reflect the additional time, knowledge, and specialist expertise required to manage this unique community. Upper Selwyn Huts operates under specific licence‑to‑occupy arrangements on Crown-owned reserve land that is Council-managed, which is different from the typical landowner or occupier arrangements that apply to most other Selwyn residents. These differences mean the settlement requires different administration.

In the past, Council’s communication with the Upper Selwyn Huts community has not been as clear or consistent as it should have been. Limited engagement contributed to misunderstandings and strained relationships. Council acknowledges this and recognises the need to improve how it communicates and works with residents.

As a result, Council now sees the value of having more focused oversight and communication. This includes keeping track of licence conditions and payments, providing timely updates on matters specific to Upper Selwyn Huts, and arranging dedicated forums with relevant experts when needed. While some matters can still be dealt with directly through standard Council teams, the more complex and technical aspects of the licence‑to‑occupy arrangements would benefit from a dedicated administrator to help guide licensees and the Hut community to the right teams at the right time and help ensure information is provided back in a timely manner. 

Having a dedicated administrator is not about having a third person to go through, it’s about providing a dedicated person to contact who have the knowledge and ability to help guide queries and manage the day to day invoicing and payments processes. 

Staff have taken into consideration the length and width of Spackman Ave. There is approx. 500 metres of street frontage that can accommodate bins for each property on collection day. 

The current rubbish collection service using communal bins on Spackman Street could be retained if community feedback supported it, however there would be an additional fee incorporated into a targeted rate or licence fee for it to be retained. 

Currently Council is absorbing the costs of rubbish collection, where as all other residents across Selwyn are paying for their rubbish services through their rates. Council is moving towards more user pays approach to help reduce the rates increase percentage across the district. 

If the current rubbish collection service was retained an additional fee of $202.00 would be included into either a targeted rate or the licence fee to cover the actual cost of the service. 

This fee would also be reviewed annually and updated as needed to reflect the actual costs to provide the service year on year.