We love the Western Bay.
And we’re proud of what we’re achieving together to make your place just that. Your Place.
So, when we say, ‘our job as a Council is to do our best for the community’, we really mean it.
That’s why the important things we’re focusing on right now will keep us ahead of the curve. Not only for today but to also meet the future needs of our children and children’s children.
Things like playing a greater role in providing affordable, accessible, and appropriate housing, growing authentic Te Tiriti based relationships, and building and maintaining infrastructure that responds to community needs.
But we’re also conscious of the challenges that lie ahead, and understand the pressures everyone is under – affordability, cost of living, and inflation. Council is not immune to these challenges, and we’re committed to striking a balance that benefits everyone.
So, when we looked at how much it was going to cost to deliver things next year, and in subsequent years, compared to when we last budgeted for them in 2021, we realised it was going to cost a lot more.
And we knew that it wasn’t acceptable to be passing on all these costs to you.
Which is why we’ve worked incredibly hard to develop the best possible picture for our District, now and into the future.
This meant balancing the impact of things outside of our control, like increased inflation and interest rates, with the things that we can control, our rates and debt levels.
We’ve done the hard yards, working out how we can reduce and smooth the costs over the next 10 years – thinking about where we can sweat our assets, and timing our projects in a way that will reduce those costs.
We’ve also gone through our budgets with a fine-tooth comb, identifying areas where we can save without compromising essential services.
But we’ve got some big challenges in the infrastructure space – in particular the Katikati outfall pipe and Te Puke Wastewater Treatment Plant – and will continue to work through how we’re going to deliver our roading contracts in the next 10 years.
We also want to make sure we don’t lose sight of making the Western Bay a better place to live from what you’ve told us you want in the past. Things like the Te Puke Swimming Pool and Waihī Beach Library.
To strike this balance, we're proposing a 13.6% rate increase for the coming year, but trust us, every dollar is going toward making our community even better.
While it may mean waiting longer for some projects, we want to reiterate that we’ve made these decisions to try and keep more money in your pocket. We're dedicated to delivering on our promises while ensuring financial prudence for the long term.
If needed in the future, we can accommodate the additional debt required as our balance sheet is in a good position which gives us the option to borrow. However, we'll do so with careful consideration to ensure it doesn't put us in a tough spot later.
So, before we develop this picture we want to see if it’s one you can imagine and are happy with.
A picture that includes spending less on some roading upgrades and walkway/cycleway projects to reduce the impact on rates, improving the way we fund community facilities, and permanently closing Te Puna Station Road.
No matter your views, we hope you will put yourself in the picture and join the kōrero.
Because together we can make our community the best it can be.
That’s our commitment to you.
We hope you can picture it.
