Proposed Long Term Plan for next 10 years about to be released

Horowhenua District Council's Draft Long Term Plan for 2015 - 2025 will be made public and open for submissions this Friday.

Every three years Council produces a Long Term Plan (LTP) for the District, setting out the priorities for the next ten years, as well as projections for rates increases, debt levels, levels of service and major projects.

This is the first to be produced under the 2014 amendments to the Local Government Act 2002, requiring councils to produce 'consultation documents' for their LTPs and use these as a primary basis for consulting the community.

Chief Executive David Clapperton says the Consultation Document is designed to be a standalone source of information.

"We encourage you to take the time to read and understand the information contained within it, and let us know your thoughts," he said.

The Consultation Document outlines the key issues and priorities as well as Council's financial position, and includes supporting documents, strategies and policies.

Two key issues in the Draft LTP are the review of the Rating System and whether Council should continue charging Development Contributions for new developments.

Added to Council’s website is an indicative rates calculator that allows ratepayers to enter their property's address and get an estimate of what their rates for the 2015/2016 year would look like, under both Land and Capital Value Rating Systems.

Two key strategies in the Draft LTP are the Infrastructure Strategy 2015-2045 and Financial Strategy 2015-2025.

The Infrastructure Strategy outlines plans for major projects for the next decade, including roading, water supply, wastewater and stormwater. The Financial Strategy addresses Council's expenditure and revenue, setting out boundaries regarding rate increases and debt levels.

"These are both summarised in the Consultation Document, and we want to hear if we have the right balance between debt, rates, infrastructure renewals and levels of service," Mr Clapperton said.

"It’s a balancing act between what we need to spend to provide services for our community, and what we can afford.

"What we are proposing will result in higher rates increases in years one, two and three, before the increases lessen from year four onwards. This is because we need to get our infrastructure sorted in the next few years."

For year one (2015/2016), we need to increase our total rates income from $29,570,392 to $31,821,279. This works out to be an average rate increase of 7.61% per property, but individual increases will depend on where the property is located, and what type of property it is (for example, residential or commercial).

"We want to ensure our LTP works for you, so have a look at what we are proposing and please feel free to contact us if you have any queries. You can submit online or by writing, or come along to a community discussion. Every opinion counts and we want to hear yours," Mr Clapperton said.

The Consultation Document will be available online at www.horowhenua.govt.nz/ltp, as well as at Council's office in Levin, Te Takere, the Foxton and Shannon Libraries, Tokomaru Store, Waitarere Beach Four Square and the Manakau Store.

During the consultation period, Council Officers and Elected Members will be available to speak to any ratepayer or resident about the Consultation Document or Draft LTP. Anyone wishing to make an appointment with a Council Officer should contact Council on 06 366 0999 orenquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz. Anyone wishing to speak to an Elected Member can contact them directly - their contact details can be found online at www.horowhenua.govt.nz/council.

Submissions on the Draft LTP close on Friday 3 April 2015. Submitters are encouraged to prepare their submission using the submission template, which is available as an insert within the Consultation Document, online atwww.horowhenua.govt.nz/ltp or at Council offices and Libraries. Submitters who wish to speak to their submission will have the opportunity to be heard on 5, 6 or 7 May 2015. Deliberation on all submissions will then take place on 26, 27 and 28 May 2015. The final LTP needs to be adopted by Council before 30 June 2015.

ENDS

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