Waimakariri council’s long-term plan full of ‘compromise’

Wednesday, 26 June 2024

Waimakariri District Council has approved a rates increase by almost 10% for the coming year. (File photo)

Roading projects, new car parks, a library expansion and cycleways have been pushed to the “outer years” of Waimakariri’s 10-year budget to keep rates rises below double digits.

The district council’s 2024-34 long-term plan (LTP) was full of “compromise”, acting finance and business support general manager Greg Bell said, but they were necessary to drop the average rates increase from 19% to 9.38% in the coming year.

Councillors voted to adopt the LTP on Tuesday, sparking reflection on the cost of living crisis faced by their community.

For the average ratepayer, the increase would equate to about $6 extra per week, councillor Philip Redmond said, but he acknowledged some were already struggling to keep up with their payments.

Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon is pleased with the reduction in rates rises for residents. (File photo)

Mayor Dan Gordon said council staff did what they could, but only so much could be done to keep prices down while retaining the same level of service.

“I’m not going to say I like 9.39%, which is where we’ve landed, but it’s about presenting a responsible position.”

The council was facing increased costs for insurance, construction, inflation, and revaluation of community assets, with some rising as much as 150% over the past few years.

Gordon said insurance costs were big, but ensuring “more than adequate coverage” was non-negotiable.

“We have been subject to earthquakes, weather events, and I think if anyone understands how the world of insurance works, our community does.”

Councillor Niki Mealings says pushing projects back some projects to the “outer years” gives the council room to move when investing in infrastructure and services. (File photo)

To ensure essential needs were met, non-essential projects were deferred to the “outer years” of the LTP, such as the $24.3 million extension to the Trevor Inch Memorial Rangiora Library and the $37.9m Rangiora Eastern Link road, which aimed to reduce congestion through Southbrook.

The library development would wait until 2028 before costs hit the council, and the Eastern Link would be subject to co-funding promises from the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

Councillor Niki Mealings said Waimakariri was one of the fastest growing districts in the country, with Stats NZ growth projections suggesting the district would get another 12,000 people in the next 10 years.

There would be more need for services and infrastructure, so pushing some projects to the LTP’s “outer years” gave the council room to raise money, apply for grants, and plan in a way that took the pressure off rate payers, she said.

Councillor Paul Williams felt the consultation process had been a farce, and the council had delivered what it wanted to with little to no regard to the community’s input.

He received push-back from multiple councillors, including Robbie Brine who said he did not want to increase rates, but they were necessary to keep up with the community’s growth and expectations.

“If somebody were to put a piece in front of me that says ‘do you want an increase in rates’ I would tick emphatically no … but the reality is we have to,” Brine said.

The plan was adopted by majority vote, with only Williams voting against.

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