Hurunui council boss calls for tourist levy rise
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Funding infrastructure for tourist towns has no simple solution, says Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie.
North Canterbury towns Hanmer Springs and Kaikōura are small communities which punch above their weight to service tourists.
Dobbie said the cost of providing additional infrastructure such as toilets and rubbish bins was largely borne by ratepayers.
‘‘We appreciate visitors bring money into the local economy and sometimes we need to do things infrastructure-wise to support that.
‘‘We don’t necessarily want that to be borne by ratepayers, but the cost has to be picked up somewhere.’’
While local ratepayers may not use the public toilets or rubbish, there were benefits with visitors spending money in the local community and improved environmental outcomes.
Local Government New Zealand took the opportunity to promote its message of the need for alternative funding tools, during last week’s local government conference in Wellington.
A number of councils have been calling for accommodation and tourism levies, with a recent opinion poll suggesting there was public support.
But Dobbie said accommodation and tourism levies would provide limited benefit in Hanmer Springs and he preferred raising the International Visitor Levy, which charged visitors at the border.
‘‘If you just take the money where the tourists sleep, does that really enhance tourism infrastructure overall.’’
Alternatively, a levy collected at the border could be distributed where it was needed or where there were opportunities, he said.
The Mackenzie District Council increased its rates by one percent so it could clean its public toilets twice a day.
Dobbie said a bed tax might make little difference as few of those visitors may stay the night in the district.
Tourism Minister Matt Doocey said Tourism New Zealand was reviewing the International Visitor Levy and an announcement would be made soon on whether it will be increased.
While the levy was set $35 per visitor, options were being considered to increase it to as much as $100 per visitor.
The levy did not apply to Australians or Pacific Islanders.
Doocey said he was aware there was strong support for an accommodation levy, but the Government had yet to make a decision.
He said the Government had an ambitious agenda to double export earnings.
‘‘Tourism is our second biggest export earner, so there is potential for growth.
‘‘I have tasked Tourism New Zealand with increasing earnings by $5 billion.’’
He said this could be achieved by increasing visitor numbers during off-peak periods when tourism infrastructure was ‘‘under-utilised’’.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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Older residents call for Amberley bus service
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A lack of public transport and access to healthcare were among the issues raised in recent a survey of older residents in the Hurunui district.
The Hurunui District Council surveyed residents aged over 60 during August and September, as it looks to develop an age-friendly community plan to support an ageing population.
There are currently no public bus services in Hurunui, which includes the town of Amberley, about 40km north of Christchurch.
Community development facilitator Vanessa Nelmes said public transport is a big issue for many elderly people, while accessing medical care when needed remains a concern.
While there are a number of community vehicle trusts operating in the district, respondents felt a regular bus service from Amberley to Rangiora and/or Christchurch is needed.
Hurunui mayor Marie Black has been among those advocating for a bus service, but for now Environment Canterbury says there are no plans to offer public transport in the district.
The distance to medical care in Christchurch and the lack of a dentist were also mentioned, Nelmes said.
The survey received 213 responses from residents aged from 60 to their 90s, with half coming from residents in the south ward, which includes Amberley.
Nelmes said the survey found a majority of the respondents felt confident using computers, internet and / or smart phones.
‘‘It kind of puts that myth to bed that old people don’t like using technology.
‘‘I think we really do need to change our mindset compared to what is really happening in our community.’’
Although about 50 respondents said they were not confident using technology, showing there was still a need for providing support.
The survey also asked if people would like to improve their skills with technology and it was ‘‘evenly split’’, Nelmes said.
A concerning trend in the survey was a number of respondents who said they felt socially isolated, especially those new to the community, she said.
‘‘We had half a dozen people who replied along the lines, ‘you have to put yourself out there, but it’s how to make the first step’.’’
The survey has been analysed by the age-friendly steering group, which plans to widen its membership to include different agencies such as district nursing and is seeking a rural voice, Nelmes said.
Council staff plan to do a stocktake of services available for senior citizens in the district, before beginning work on a draft age-friendly plan.
Environment Canterbury public transport strategy and planning manager Sonia Pollard said there are no plans to extend bus services into Amberley or the wider Hurunui district.
‘‘The focus for public transport improvements is on delivery of the core routes in Christchurch and the direct services between the main urban areas in Waimakariri and Selwyn districts and Christchurch City.
‘‘Service improvements are reliant on funding through local rates and the National Land Transport Programme.’’
She said routes outside large urban areas are unlikely to meet the funding criteria in the 2024/27 National Land Transport Programme.
But as part of the 2025/26 annual plan staff are considering how to best serve the rural community, including assessing new routes outside the Greater Christchurch boundary.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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