Whakatāne District Council has adopted its Long Term Plan (LTP) 2021-31 and associated supporting documents.
The LTP, Financial Strategy, Infrastructure Strategy, Revenue and Financing Policy and Financial Contributions were all adopted at an extraordinary Council meeting on 14 July following an extensive and detailed development process.
Speaking at the meeting, Mayor Judy Turner outlined the Long Term Plan journey and the milestones that had been achieved to get to the final decision-making point.
“A significant amount of elected member and staff time has gone into the development of the Long Term Plan, preparation of the consultation document for community feedback and then the hearing of submissions and deliberations process,” she said. “Where possible, those submissions have been built into this Long Term Plan. I think the result is a well-balanced plan that enables the Council to progress the essential investment needed in our communities’ drinking water, storm water and wastewater infrastructure (the three waters).”
The plan includes an average rates increase per year across the Whakatāne District of 6.84 percent, for each of the first three years of the plan – a model referred to as rates ‘smoothing’. Mayor Turner explains that this figure is for the Council’s overall rates income, and individual property increases will vary.
“The rates increases are higher in the first three years, compared to the following seven years of the plan. This is because the rates increases in the initial years prepare for the big costs coming in the three waters space, and for other key projects set out in the LTP,” she says. “The rates smoothing approach means Council has a strong commitment to stay within the agreed budgets.”
Other key decisions in the plan include:
- Recommencing a work programme for seal extensions on unsealed roads, with a $750,000 per year budget.
- Funding $1 million per year towards implementing the Active Whakatāne Strategy.
- Significantly increasing investment in our three waters services, including developing a wastewater solution for Matatā.
- Increasing the debt limit to 175 percent of total revenue (from 150 percent).
- Increasing project funding for the strengthening and upgrade of the main Council office.
- Funding $400,000 for a Te Teko to Kōkōhinau Marae pathway.
- Funding $100,000 for strategy development for management of Sullivan Lake and the Awatapu and Matatā Lagoons, and ongoing additional funding of $75,000 per year to make improvements.
The first rates instalment for the year will be due on Friday, 27 August. A 2.5 percent discount is available if the full year’s rates are paid by the first instalment due date. Payments can be made online, by credit card or direct debit, or by calling into the main Council office in Whakatāne or the Murupara Library and Service Centre.
The full Long Term Plan 2021-31 is available on our website.