Environment Canterbury rates struck

Environment Canterbury commissioners today adopted the annual plan for 2010/11 and struck the regional rates for the financial year from July 1. The overall rise will be 3.3 per cent, down from nearly 9 per cent in the draft plan.

The general rate will decrease by 0.5 per cent, compared with 2009/10. The draft plan had proposed a 3.9 per cent increase.

The rates collected by the regional council are a combination of targeted rates for specific communities and programmes, and general rates for programmes common to all Canterbury ratepayers.

Total expenditure (rates, user pays, grants, interest and Reserves) will be $134 million, ($141 million in the draft plan). Expenditure for 2009/10 was $124 million.

The council received 438 submissions on its draft annual plan for 2010/11 and commissioners heard verbal submissions from around 90 representatives or individuals.  As a result of submissions, changes were made to the 2010/11 work plan, addressing water management and the need to reduce rate increases.

Key shifts in funding:
Funding of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy will increase by $3.2 million. This includes a freshwater biodiversity protection/restoration programme. The total budget for the strategy is $4 million.

Water management cost recovery
A new charge on water consent holders will be introduced to recover 30 per cent of the cost of scientific investigation and monitoring work for water management. The remaining 70 per cent will continue to come from general rates.

The overall effect will be to reduce the general rate by $2.3 million.

Effects of the rise on particular properties’ rates for the coming year, 2010/11 and comparable rating values by district and city territorial authority

The council tracks a number of example properties throughout the region. The rating total includes the general rate and targeted rates which may include biosecurity and pests, catchment rates for flood protection, passenger transport and civil defence.

The changes also reflect shifts in property values and the rate to cover the enhanced Canterbury Water Management Strategy. *

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