Annual plan reshuffles and changes but not to the proposed rate rise in Ashburton

The Team Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

Some things have been changed around but rates are still set to rise by an average of 9.4%.

The Ashburton District Council ran through the final draft of its annual plan on Wednesday before it goes before the council next week for adoption.

Councillors have left no stone unturned for savings or deferrals but haven’t been able to budge on the 9.4% average rates rise.

The council had asked in its consultation if it should reduce services to reduce costs, and therefore rates, but the majority of the 131 submissions received were against any reduction.

Mayor Neil Brown said the council had consulted the community and through the submissions process made changes.

“We listened and made changes around the projects such as new footpaths, [public] toilets, and assessments of disability inclusive playgrounds.

“Small things, moving things around but the community felt it was important. We listened and we changed.

“Some people thought some things were more important than we did and we listened and took that on board, and changed things around.

“It didn’t affect the overall rates as well we just moved things around a bit.”

The council shuffled some funding around to reintroduce new footpaths to the annual plan, sass well as including public toilet facilities and rectifying the safety hazards at the EA Networks entrance - none of which affects the rates.

What is affecting the 9.4% average rise is inflation, flood recovery, new drinking water regulation compliance.

“We are spending a reasonable amount of money on [water regulation compliance] in this coming year and at the end of that year all our water supplies will be compliant.”

The council had been advised in October to factor in an inflation rate of 2.9% but Brown said the council were able to forecast that the figure was too low and went with a rate of 5%.

The councillors reviewed the 173-page document and made several corrections and clarifications for the final draft that will be ready to go for adoption next week.