March 5, 2007

MEDIA STATEMENT

Draft annual plan budget likely to be adopted for public input April and May 2007

At this week’s Environment Canterbury council meeting (March 7), councillors will vote on adopting the draft annual plan for 2007/08.

Thanks to savings made across a number of work/portfolio areas, the projected general rates rise is 6.7%, down from 7.2% forecast in the long term council community plan (LTCCP).

Public submissions are invited from March 31.

Environment Canterbury’s total expenditure will increase by $6.48 million over the level forecast last year. The extra costs will be met through:

- An increased grant from Land Transport New Zealand for public passenger transport funding.

- An increase in the targeted rate for public passenger transport funding.

Environment Canterbury’s total rates revenue will now be $65 million, with $31 milllion of this total coming from targeted rates – on biosecurity and pests, catchment rates for flood protection, passenger transport and civil defence. Depending on where people live in Canterbury region, different targeted rates are applicable.

“This draft annual plan is the second year of our long term, ten year council community plan. It describes what the council wants to achieve in the next financial year, the reasons for the work programmes, costs and how progress will be measured,” said Environment Canterbury chairman Sir Kerry Burke.

“We are seeking specific public input on a number of issues. For example the idea of charging for gravel removed with resource consent from our riverbeds.

“We also have specific items relating to public transport rating for Waimakariri District ratepayers and we need to alert Christchurch ratepayers to the increased cost of providing the highly successful public passenger Metro system.

“In line with all other regional councils, the cost of maintaining the existing public passenger transport system has increased and for 2007/08, this will have an impact on Canterbury ratepayers, particularly Christchurch ratepayers, through the targeted rate for bus transport. This rise is due to increased costs generated by Land Transport NZ's indexing system which reflects rising operational costs, particularly fuel price swings,” Sir Kerry said.

Approximately half of the increase will be funded by Land Transport NZ, with the balance from a targeted rate and $382,000 from ECan public transport reserves.

The total cost of the public passenger transport portfolio in Canterbury for 2007/08 will be $35 million, paid for through grants from Land Transport NZ and a targeted rate on Canterbury ratepayers.

In practice for Christchurch ratepayers, this will equate to $41 per $100,000 capital property value in the coming financial year, up from $33 forecast in the LTCCP.

Comparable rating values district to district Canterbury region
The examples below are for actual properties to provide a representative comparison. The rating total includes the general rate and targeted rates which vary from place to place eg biosecurity and pests, catchment rates for flood protection, passenger transport and civil defence. (NB: These figures are draft figures at this stage and may be subject to small changes.)

District / Capital value of property / 2007/08 ECan rate / 2006/07 ECan rate / Movement in $ terms

Kaikoura - rural / $1.7 m (Sept 06) up from
$900,000 (Sept 03) / $781.26 / $850.33 / -$69.07
Kaikoura-urban / $345,000 (Sept 06) up from $210,000 (Sept 03) / $167.25 / $179.12 / -$11.86
Hurunui - rural / $810,000 (Sept 04) / $607.30 / $583.28 / +$24.02
Hurunui - urban / $180,000 (Sept 04) / $90.58 / $86.60 / +$3.98
Waimakariri - rural / $2.55 m (Jul 05) / $1,344.93 / $1,308.13 / +$36.80
Waimakariri - rural / $800,000 (Jul 05) / $435.54 / $418.82 / +$16.72
Waimakariri - urban / $245,000 (Jul 05) / $147.41 / $138.24 / +$9.17
Christchurch - rural / $1.035 m (Aug 04) / $1,270.25 / $999.61 / +$270.64
Christchurch City - urban / $288,000 (Aug 04) / $307.47 / $272.07
/ +$35.40
Christchurch – urban, Belfast / $229,000 (Aug 04) / $176.13 / $163.08
/ +$13.05
Christchurch – urban, Lyttelton / $255,000 (Aug 04) / $213.43 / $188.71 / +$24.72
Christchurch – urban, Akaroa / $355,000 (Aug 04) / $173.70 / $162.54 / +$11.17
Ashburton - rural / $2.7 m (Jul 06) up from $1.68 m (Jul 03) / $2,556.63 / $2,619.70 / -$63.07
Ashburton -urban / $200,000 (Jul 06) up from $121,000 (Jul 03) / $110.58 / $110.78 / -$0.20
Selwyn - rural / $3.6 m (Jul 06) up from $2.1 m (Jul 03) / $1,562.82 / $1,519.80 / +$43.02
Selwyn – urban, Lincoln / $340,000 (Jul 06) up from $210,000 (Jul 03) / $199.07 / $206.22 / -$7.15
Selwyn – urban, Leeston / $235,000 (Jul 06) up from $133,000 (Jul 03) / $135.97 / $129.00 / $6.97
Timaru - rural / $900,000 (Sept 05) / $462.97 / $450.32 / +$12.65
Timaru – urban, Timaru city / $190,000 (Sept 05) / $108.95 / $112.89 / -$3.94
Timaru – urban, Temuka / $170,000 (Sept 05) / $122.82 / $117.38 / +$5.44
Timaru – urban, Geraldine / $220,000 (Sept 05) / $121.51 / $118.72 / +$2.79
Timaru – urban, Pleasant Point / $210,000 (Sept 05) / $199.88 / $201.84 / -$1.96
Mackenzie - rural / $3.25 m (Aug 06) up from $1.9 m (Aug 03) / $1,626.53 / $1,564.41 / +$62.12
Mackenzie - rural / $2.1 m (Aug 06) up from $1.05 m (Aug 03) / $980.76 / $785.39 / +$195.37
Mackenzie – urban, Fairlie / $160,000 (Aug 06) up from $70,000 (Aug 03) / $98.53 / $67.32 / +$31.20
Mackenzie – urban, Twizel / $175,000 (Aug 06) up from $110,000 (Aug 03) / $75.32 / $70.53 / +$4.79
Mackenzie – urban, Tekapo / $480,000 (Aug 06) up from $225,000 (Aug 03) / $193.81 / $136.66 / +$57.15
Waimate - rural / $1.77 m (Jul 04) / $1,106.28 / $1,097.78 / +$8.51
Waimate - urban / $119,000 (Jul 04) / $65.45 / $61.90 / +$3.55
Waitaki - rural / $6.975 m (Sept 06) up from $3.5 m (Aug 03) / $3,306.36 / $2,248.70 / +$1,057.66
Waitaki - rural / $1.325 m (Sept 06) up from $900,000 (Aug 03) / $643.65 / $613.13 / +$30.52
Waitaki – urban, Kurow / $205,000 (Sept 06) up from $134,000 (Aug 03) / $124.91 / $105.90 / +$19.01
Waitaki – urban, Otematata / $170,000 (Sept 06) up from $78,000 (Aug 03) / $61.91 / $35.77 / +$26.14

The draft Annual Plan consultation period starts March 31 and closes May 1. Hearings are scheduled for May 22 in Timaru and May 23-25 in Christchurch.
Submissions can be made by using the form on the back page of April Living Here newspaper or via letter or email – Annual Plan 2007/08 Submission, Environment Canterbury, PO Box 345, Christchurch or email mailroom[at]ecan.govt.nz
To read a full copy of the draft annual plan, go to www.ecan.govt.nz/draftannualplan or phone Customer Services 03 353 9721 or 0800 32 4636.

ENDS

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