Waimakariri council looks to keep rates rise under 9%
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
About $690 million is set to be spent over the next 10 years replacing Waimakariri’s assets and planning for the district’s rapid growth.
The Waimakariri District Council is proposing an average rate rise of 8.94%, as recommended by staff, as it looks to complete its draft 2024-34 long-term plan (LTP).
Mayor Dan Gordon described the draft LTP as ‘‘a prudent and responsible budget’’.
‘‘We started this long-term plan with a proposed 19% rate increase based on our work programme.
‘‘For this reason, we have deferred $120m of non-essential works to the outer years to bring our rate increases to what we understand will be one of the lowest in Canterbury.
‘‘But I want to make it clear, while we have made savings, we are not compromising on our level of service.’’
The district’s population is projected to grow from about 70,000 to 82,075 by 2034, based on Stats NZ’s high growth scenario.
The council is planning to consult on five key themes as it plans for growth.
These include how best to manage the natural environment, flood resilience, provision of community facilities, extension of the Rangiora Library and the proposed Rangiora eastern link road.
The council has spent $10m of unbudgeted spending over the last three years in response to major storm events, and is planning ahead by establishing a permanent infrastructure recovery team this year.
In the last LTP in 2021, the council signalled it would build a new community centre in Pegasus and make provision for future facilities in Ravenswood.
The council announced last year it had reach an agreement with Templeton Group to purchase land on the Pegasus lakefront.
It is now consulting with the community and Templeton Group on the detailed design of a community centre, and plans to begin construction by the end of next year.
The council is also negotiating with Templeton Group to buy land for future community facilities to serve the growing Woodend and Ravenswood community.
Gordon said the council was in talks with Canterbury Cricket and Canterbury Country Cricket about extending Mainpower Oval to accommodate more cricket pitches and training facilities.
‘‘If we want to keep first-class cricket in Rangiora, we need to put in a level of investment, so we are developing a partnership around that.’’
The council will meet again on February 27 to adopt the draft LTP, before it goes out for consultation from March 15 to April 19.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Poll: Have you ever been bullied?
People associate bullying with children in schools, but it can actually stretch beyond childhood to workplaces or neighbourhoods.
This Friday is Pink Shirt Day, which began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a new student was harassed for wearing pink. People across the globe are now encouraged to wear pink on this day to take a stand against bullying and promote inclusivity.
Have you or your whānau ever experienced bullying? Share your thoughts on Pink Shirt Day below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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81.8% Yes
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17.9% No
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0.3% Other - I'll share below
Neighbourly Q&A: Renting rights with CAB's Sacha Green
We are continuing our Q&A sessions on Neighbourly. This week we have the amazing Sacha Green from Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand (CABNZ) who will be answering your questions about your renting rights.
A little bit about Sacha:
She has been working for CABNZ for 10 years and is passionate about empowering people with knowledge of their rights as well as ensuring access to justice.
She helps support the team of over 2,000 trained volunteers who deliver the CAB service in 80 neighbourhoods around Aotearoa by providing advice and support at a national level on a wide range of issues. One of Sacha’s work areas is leading the CAB’s social justice work on housing and tenancy issues.
Whether you're a flatmate, landlord, boarder or flatmate, you can leave a comment below and Sacha will share an answer on Wednesday from 9.30am. You may want to ask about notice periods, bond fulfillment, reasonable rent increases, or even whose responsibility it is to deal with mould in the home.
Join Sacha here on Wednesday at 9.30am. See you then!.
⇩ Share your question below ⇩
Where do you find the best bargains in Canterbury?
The first South Island edition of the Reduced to Clear outlet store opened in Christchurch’s South City mall this month. It sells end-of-the-line products, cancelled exports or short-dated items - similar to other discount grocers in the city such as Save More and BargainMe.
We're keen to hear from you - where do you find the best bargains in Canterbury? Who has the cheapest veges, the best deals on spices and nuts, the lowest price for petrol etc? What are your tips for dealing with cost of living increases? Comment below or email reporters@press.co.nz
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