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Council adopts first 20-year Long Term Plan

Media Release: 28 June 2018

Horowhenua District Council has adopted its first 20-year Long Term Plan.

Long term plans usually span ten years, but the growth Horowhenua is experiencing requires Council to plan further into the future.

“Our population is expected to grow by just over 1% a year for the next 20 years. By 2038, about 41,128 people will call Horowhenua home,” said Deputy Mayor Wayne Bishop.

Deputy Mayor Bishop said the Long Term Plan is based on a prudent Financial Strategy that aims to manage the expected growth while living within our means. The Financial Strategy focuses on maintaining a balanced budget while ensuring infrastructural assets are suitably managed, he said.

“A key aspect of the Financial Strategy is achieving a balance between loan and rate funding to maintain existing assets and purchase new ones. To reduce the need to borrow, we intend to progressively pay for more asset renewals from rates and operating surpluses, with loans being used to fund capital expenditure, such as new infrastructure.

“We’ve achieved a forecast average rate increase of only 3.75% per year, over the next 20 years, planned operating surpluses and a balanced budget over the entire 20-year period.”

At the same time, the Long Term Plan provides for Council to continue work on existing projects to maintain and improve levels of service and plan for growth. Council is continuing its commitment to stormwater improvements, renewing existing water and wastewater infrastructure, upgrades and improvements to infrastructure such as roads, shared pathways, and renewals of playgrounds and sports grounds.

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In addition to the continued commitment to ongoing work, some new projects are on the cards as a result of the public consultation Council undertook earlier this year.

The consultation asked the community to consider three key challenges and started two community conversations.

Challenge 1 was about the future of Horowhenua’s community halls. Council resolved not to retain Foxton Memorial Hall and Coronation Hall with no action being undertaken on Coronation Hall until a feasibility study on its future use is presented to Council by 30 December 2018. Decisions about the future of the Shannon Memorial Hall, Courthouse Museum and Levin Memorial Hall were deferred.

Challenge 2 considered the season length of the Foxton Pool. Council agreed to extend the season from five to eight months.

Challenge 3 focused on water and wastewater infrastructure for growing settlements. Council resolved to proceed with feasibility studies for water and wastewater infrastructure in Ōhau and for water in Waitārere Beach. Council decided not to go ahead with water and wastewater infrastructure for Waikawa Beach and Hōkio Beach, and deferred considerations of a feasibility study for Manakau until Year Four of the Long Term Plan.

The two community conversations looked at water sustainability and the need for a community centre in Shannon.

“On water sustainability, Council will proceed with its proposed approach – installation of pressure-reducing values, detecting and fixing leaks, and continuous monitoring and condition assessment. Council will also look to establish a Horowhenua Water Working Party to consider water sustainability issues,” Deputy Mayor Bishop said.

A feasibility study for the potential development of a Shannon Community Centre will be carried out in the 2019-2020 financial year.

In response to concerns raised by many submitters, Council also resolved to proceed with a feasibility study of stormwater entering Lake Horowhenua, with an indicative $5.5 million set aside in Years Four to Seven of the Long Term Plan for any recommended projects as a result of the study.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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