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By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Some rates relief could be in store for Hurunui ratepayers next year as the council reconsiders its roading priorities.
The Hurunui District Council forecast an average 14.49% rates hike for the 2025-26 financial year in the 2024-34 long-term plan.
… View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Some rates relief could be in store for Hurunui ratepayers next year as the council reconsiders its roading priorities.
The Hurunui District Council forecast an average 14.49% rates hike for the 2025-26 financial year in the 2024-34 long-term plan.
But after receiving a significantly reduced subsidy from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said staff are having another look at the roading programme.
‘‘In our long-term plan consultation, our residents signalled they wanted us to invest in our roads, so now it is about figuring out what is a wise investment with the funding we have.’’
He said the council will need to reconsider what it can afford to fund, based on the lower-than-expected subsidy.
The Hurunui council receives a 52% subsidy from NZTA on approved projects, with ratepayers paying the balance.
The council has met with NZTA since raising concerns about the funding it received in the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme.
It had sought a 184% increase, but NZTA director regional relationships James Caygill said this was ‘‘unaffordable’’.
Dobbie said ratepayers were already paying two-thirds of the district’s roading budget as a number of projects were not funded by NZTA.
Options for a revised roading programme will be presented to the council to consider ahead of next year’s annual plan.
Dobbie did not expect rates to rise any more than the 14.49% signalled and will likely be less.
Funding has been reduced for low cost, low risk projects, which cost less than $2 million, so these will need to be reconsidered, he said.
‘‘It means the Government doesn’t value that type of work, so we need to consider how we value it.
‘‘The Government values the sealed road networks, so how do we allocate ratepayer money to those aspects of our network versus our unsealed roads.’’
Dobbie said Hurunui, a large rural community with around 13,000 residents, had about 900km of unsealed roads and 600km of sealed roads.
The council estimated it needs about $3 million a year to maintain and upgrade its ageing network of 286 bridges.
‘‘I think we have an understanding of what the issues are, but I wouldn’t say we are any closer to finding a solution,’’ Dobbie said.
He said he understood NZTA is restricted by Government funding.
‘‘This Government claims to be about infrastructure, so hopefully they can find a way to help us with intergenerational (or debt) funding and help us to pay it back.
‘‘We will pay our share.’’
Transport Minister Simeon Brown and NZTA have been contacted for comment.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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Buy any orange Resene testpot 60 ml at your local Resene owned ColorShop in November and Resene will donate $1 to Arthritis NZ!
The more orange testpots you buy, the more will be donated.
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Looking for the purrfect Christmas gift for the cat lover in your life? Look no further! 🤗
Our 2025 Kitty Kingdom Calendar is happening and pre-orders are now open!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
The calendars will … View more🎄Get Ready for 2025 with the Cats of Kitty Kingdom!🎄😽🐈⬛🐈😺
Looking for the purrfect Christmas gift for the cat lover in your life? Look no further! 🤗
Our 2025 Kitty Kingdom Calendar is happening and pre-orders are now open!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
The calendars will feature stunning photos of our beloved cats and kittens, past and present, all beautifully captured by local professional photographer Cathy Dee Photography ❤
Plus, there will be a surprise appearance by a very handsome guest—can you guess who it might be? 🥰
Calendar Details:
Colour A4 sized that open into A3
Wire-bound and printed by Caxton Print on quality silk matt paper
Only $30 per calendar!
Order Deadline: Friday 22 November
How to Order:
1. Make Payment
Please transfer $30 per calendar required to our ANZ Christmas Calendar account:
01-0834-0182816-00
IMPORTANT: use your full name as a reference
2. Confirm Order:
Email us at kittykingdomcanterbury@hotmail.com
with:
🐾 Your full name (as used in reference)
🐾 Contact number
🐾 Address
🐾 Number of calendars purchased
Once printed and delivered, we’ll contact you to arrange collection from one of our collection points
Delivery may be available for an additional $5 depending upon your location.
Thank you for supporting Kitty Kingdom and helping us to care for these wonderful creatues!
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Check out these amazing photographs for a sneak peak of your calendar......
Buses can be a relaxing way to get home if you have a seat and enough space. However, it can be off-putting when someone is taking a phone call next to you.
Do you think it's inconsiderate for people to have lengthy phone calls on a bus? Vote in the poll, and add your comments below.
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Black/mahogany foliage topped with bright orange daisy like flowers in summer. Perennial. Full sun to part shade. Good in wet areas. Grows to approx 60cm wide/high.
Large grade plants. Pick up Rangiora by arrangement. Cash on pickup.
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Clearance sale on well established Griselinia Plants. Some slightly misshapen but will be just fine planted out. Around 100 available. $3 per plant. Woodend pickup.
Love gooseberries? Share your favourite way to enjoy them. We're looking for our readers' favourite family recipes for this delicious crop. Send yours to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the magazine, you will receive a free copy of our December 2024 issue.
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A North Canterbury beach community is set to get an early Christmas present to help in the fight against rising sea levels.
The Hurunui District Council has confirmed its plans to build a $750,000 coastal bund to protect the Amberley Beach village from … View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A North Canterbury beach community is set to get an early Christmas present to help in the fight against rising sea levels.
The Hurunui District Council has confirmed its plans to build a $750,000 coastal bund to protect the Amberley Beach village from the sea, with work to begin this month.
Amberley Beach Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Community Association spokesperson Paula Le Compte said the announcement is good news for residents.
‘‘I know the entire beach community will be thrilled that it is going ahead.’’
A bund is a type of embankment which protects against the sea.
Le Compte said the area was important for fishing and recreation, while the village of 109 properties included a mix of home owners, rentals and holiday homes.
Chief executive Hamish Dobbie said he expected the new bund to be completed by Christmas.
The existing bund is owned by the community and was built in 1993, with the council acting as ‘‘a collector of funds’’.
The council was granted a consent by Environment Canterbury in March last year to build a new bund.
An Amberley Beach Coastal Adaptation Plan was adopted by the council in July last year, following extensive engagement with the community over three years.
The plan identified a number of options for the community to respond to coastal erosion, flooding and sea level rise.
These included a new, relocatable bund, while in the longer term other coastal protection measures or managed retreat will be considered.
The new bund was designed by the residents’ association and approved in August, after being peer reviewed.
It is expected to have a lifespan of 30 years.
The council voted in April to approve the use of debt funding to pay for the new $750,000 bund, with Amberley Beach residents paying for it through a combination of funds already saved and a targeted rate.
Residents approached the council earlier this year with a proposal to increase their targeted rate from $252 to $304 a year, which was included in the Long Term Plan.
The coastal adaptation plan has a clause where residents would need to consider another option, such as ‘‘proactive relocation’’, if the targeted rate for the bund exceeds $750 per household per year.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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Tall Bearded Iris bare rooted rhizomes. Named varieties available: Silverado, Merlot, Pirates Quest, Norwest Pride, Seashore, Supreme Sultan, Royal Crusader, and Sultry Mood. Cut to order and will need to be planted without delay. Pick up Rangiora by arrangement. Cash only. Message to make … View moreTall Bearded Iris bare rooted rhizomes. Named varieties available: Silverado, Merlot, Pirates Quest, Norwest Pride, Seashore, Supreme Sultan, Royal Crusader, and Sultry Mood. Cut to order and will need to be planted without delay. Pick up Rangiora by arrangement. Cash only. Message to make a time. Must be picked up by 14th November. Unnamed varieties also available for $5 each. Also 5 for $20 lucky dip mixed colours. Message for details.
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Recent rain has given drought-stricken farmers in Canterbury a boost, but concern remains, says Hurunui mayor Marie Black.
The Hurunui Adverse Events Committee met following the wet weather over Labour Weekend, with reports of between 50mm and 100mm of … View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Recent rain has given drought-stricken farmers in Canterbury a boost, but concern remains, says Hurunui mayor Marie Black.
The Hurunui Adverse Events Committee met following the wet weather over Labour Weekend, with reports of between 50mm and 100mm of rain throughout the district.
‘‘It was pretty consistent. We were lucky that it fell across the district to relieve many worried farmers," Black said.
‘‘It is also really important to recognise that while it was termed as ‘a million dollar rain’, it hasn’t changed some of the issues farmers are facing with regrassing and the cost burden.’’
She said farmers have experience 11 months of no significant rainfall, with the Government declaring a medium-scale adverse event in March.
‘‘It was a timely and welcomed rain and it was sufficient to get some growth started.
‘‘But we have gone for a long time without significant rain. It has a creeping and insidious impact on the local community and the local economy as a whole.’’
Black said more is needed to ensure creeks and groundwater are properly replenished before summer sets in.
It is a busy time of year for farmers, with new spring lambs on the ground and farmers getting ready for shearing.
Farmers will be looking to cut some hay or baleage in the coming weeks as they look to rebuild their feed supplies, she said.
‘‘We need times of warm, dry weather and there are times when we need moisture. It is hard to get the balance right.
‘‘We will continue to monitor the situation and we have mitigation steps in place.’’
Events are being planned to encourage farmers to take some time off the farm and ensure they are kept informed, she said.
The Labour Weekend rain was not good news for everybody, with the Northern A&P Association’s Rangiora Show cancelled on the Saturday morning (October 26), as the rain tumbled down.
North Canterbury Federated Farmers meat and wool chairperson and Marble Point Station farmer Sara Black said she enjoyed ‘‘staying home and watching it rain’’.
‘‘There are a few lambs around, but because it was a warm and gentle rain, they would have pulled through.’’
Many farmers reduced their ewe numbers prior to lambing, while scanning results indicated there were lower lambing percentages this year, meaning there are less mouths to feed.
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