The Whakatāne District Council has adopted its 2018-28 Long Term Plan (LTP), along with a range of supporting documents, and resolved its rates charges for the 2018/19 year.

At an extraordinary Council meeting last week, elected members received Audit NZ’s report on the LTP and approved the Revenue and Financing Policy, Development Contributions Policy, Financial Contributions Policy, Significance and Engagement Policy, and the Fees and Charges Schedule for the year beginning 1 July 2018. All of those documents will be available on the Council website later this week.

Mayor Tony Bonne welcomed the auditor’s unmodified opinion on the Council’s budgets and work plans. “This has been a lengthy and complex process, which has involved extensive community engagement and hearings where every submission point was considered and responded to,” he said. “We are facing a bow-wave of infrastructure costs in the coming years and as a result, there has been little room for extra spending to meet submitters’ requests. However, it’s pleasing that we have been able to provide funding for some important community initiatives, while keeping the average rates increase across the District to 3.83 percent.”

Mayor Bonne said the Government acknowledges that territorial authorities need funding mechanisms other than rates to make major infrastructure investment affordable for communities, and he looks forward to seeing measures progressed to support future water and wastewater system upgrades.

Also adopted:

• The rates resolution for the year to 30 June 2019, including general rates charges (based on property capital values)
• Roading rates (targeted and capital value components across the District)
• Community board rates
• Stormwater rates (targeted and capital value components for each community)
• Refuse removal rates
• Water rates (a targeted rate for each connection, plus a usage charge)
• A targeted sewerage rate
• A District growth rate levied against all commercial and industrial properties

The first rates instalment for the year will be due on Friday, 24 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, by setting up a direct debit, by mail, or by calling into the Council Civic Centre in Whakatāne or the Murupara Library and Service Centre.