Average rates rise in Selwyn 5.9%
The Selwyn District Council has adopted its Annual Plan for the next 12 months, with an average rates increase across the district of 5.9%.
The Annual Plan was adopted by councillors on Wednesday and confirms what services and projects the council intends to deliver in the new financial year, what they will cost and how they will be funded.
In a statement, the council said a focus on savings without compromising services and facilities used by the community helped keep the rates rises below the rate of inflation.
The council planned to spend just over $177 million, with a focus on water, transport and community facilities. It had also committed to investing $184.5m in infrastructure to deliver on the needs for Selwyn’s growth, which is expected to continue. The investment includes $27.9m in water supply projects, $55.8m in wastewater projects and $56.2m in transportation projects.
“We’ve checked in with our community and confirmed that we’re on the right track with the projects that matter most to them during this time when all of us are feeling the pressure of rising cost," mayor Sam Broughton said.
A total of 113 submission were received during the engagement period, and 17 submitters presented in public hearings.
Actual rate changes will vary for individual households depending on the mix of targeted rates households pay, and services provided.
Visit selwyn.govt.nz/annualplan for more information.
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️