Submissions slow to come in

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
The community appears to be content with a proposed 9.4% average rates hike with under 1% submitting on the draft annual plan.

The Ashburton District Council is proposing its highest rates increase in over a decade, but as of Monday morning there have only been 58 public submissions on the plan.

In a district with about 15,588 rateable units, the current numbers equate to an 0.37% submission rate, or just 0.16% of the entire district’s population of some 35,000.

The numbers will likely increase in the coming days with consultation closing on Friday.

The council doesn’t always publicly consult on its annual plans, as they often closely align with the long-term plan (LTP), which received 430 submissions last year.

The last annual plan the council publicly consulted on was back in 2016-17, which carried a 3.3% rise, received 58 submissions.

A council spokesman said it's not unusual for the LTPs to receive a greater number of submissions as they usually contain the major funding decisions that generate a large amount of public interest.

“However, we are very keen to hear from as many of our residents as possible on this annual plan.”

The council has been proactive in discussing the proposals, holding four public meetings, one virtually and then in person in Ashburton, Methven, and Rakaia.

Mayor Neil Brown said while the attendance was low, the quality of questions and discussion was good.

Once consultation closes at the end of next week, the council will hold hearings to discuss the submissions on May 24 and 25.