Council adopts balanced approach to Annual Plan

Minimising the impact to our community is the focus of Council’s Annual Plan 2022/23.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council have adopted a plan that aims to balance community needs with changing economic pressures and sees Council agree to adjustments that keep disruptions to the community as small as possible.

The plan confirms an average rates increase of 3.92 percent, below the four percent increase that was committed to in our Long Term Plan 2021-31.

Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber says with inflation and other pressures facing our communities, Council took another look at the projects we had planned for the 2022/23 year in our Long Term Plan 2021-31 (LTP), and considered our community’s most urgent needs.

“We have been mindful of our community through this Annual Plan process to, wherever possible, minimise the disruptions COVID-19 still presents, the increased cost of living and interest rates that most are having to live with.

“We looked at the programme and what we’d planned, and where appropriate, we have made some changes. Important projects will still carry on, but as a Council we have worked hard to keep the rate increase for existing ratepayers to 3.92 percent, below the 4 percent commitment we made in our LTP.”

This year the only big change considered was in relation to the future of the Pukehina Development Rate– whether to pay, pause, stop or repurpose the rate. The decision to hit pause for two years on the rate, was made after consultation with the Pukehina community.

Mayor Garry says the two-year pause is a sensible approach that will allow for more clarity on central government’s Three Waters Reform Programme.

“The Pukehina Community has been diligently paying $20 a year, per rateable property for 21 years, to contribute to a possible future wastewater scheme. The current balance of this fund is sitting at $483,500. But with the uncertainty around Central Government’s Three Waters Reform still in the air, we wanted to take this opportunity to talk with the community about the future of the fund.

“Our job is to make decisions on behalf of the community, and we have done just that by pausing the fund for two years (a zero rate).”

The decision to pause will apply from the rates struck from 1 July 2022.

The Annual Plan will also see Council continuing to invest in our communities, with projects including

• Spending on pensioner housing of $1.83m in 2022-23 (some funds brought forward from future years to address current need)
• $6.3m wastewater capital works across the district
• $1.3m for the Two Mile Creek bank protection in Waihī Beach
• $1m support for community groups
• $1m for walking and cycling initiatives
• $3.1m minor capital roading improvements

The 2022-23 Annual Plan comes into effect from 1 July 2022, including fees and charges for 2022/2023 that were also reviewed as part of this process.

To read the full Annual Plan visit westernbay.govt.nz/annual-plan