Challenging year leads to $2.6m deficit for Hurunui council
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Hurunui’s council has posted a $2.6 million deficit, amid uncertainty created by Government reform and economic pressure.
Hurunui mayor Marie Black said the Three Waters, Resource Management Act and local government reforms, high interest rates and the cost of living all placed a heavy burden on the council over the past year.
The council adopted its 2022-23 annual report at a council meeting on Tuesday.
The annual report produced a $2.6 million operating deficit on the back of higher than expected roading costs and a significant revaluation of roading assets.
Chief financial officer Jason Beck said there was a significant increase in roading costs due to flooding over the last 18 months, which blew out the operating budget by $3.6m.
A revaluation in the council’s roading assets also led to ‘‘a greater level of depreciation’’, which was not budgeted for, Beck said.
The council’s total expenditure was $61m - $9.1m greater than budget.
Revenue for the year was $58.4m, which was $4.7m ahead of budget, thanks in part to $2.1m received for the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs programme and funding to assist with Three Waters reform.
The council also revalued its land and buildings, which increased in value by $22.1m, while the roading assets increased in value by $4.2m.
Black said the council tackled some major capital projects during the year, including upgrading its Three Waters network, in anticipation of government reform.
She said this project, which began in 2015, was funded this year by the Government’s Covid-19 stimulus funding and through the use of debt.
More work is planned over the next 12 months, which would be debt-funded and push the council close to its self-imposed debt ceiling.
The council’s debt was $47.5m as at June 30, lower than the budgeted debt of $54m, due to timing of projects.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
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⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
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