Waimak may have lowest rates rise in Canterbury
By reporter Keiller MacDuff:
Waimakariri District Council has proposed the lowest rates rise in Canterbury, but it will mean deferring $120 million of projects.
The council reviewed all its current projects to find the savings in its draft 10-year plan, which is out for consultation from Friday to April 15. This plan sees an originally-proposed 19% rates rise more than halved to 8.94%.
Projects slated to be pushed back, or scaled back, include:
- The aquatics strategy, which would have included a hydrotherapy pool for Kaiapoi and a hydroslide at Rangiora at a cost of $15m.
- Environmental projects, such as better physical access, more toilets and walking tracks in parks and reserves, and rangers to work with community groups and tackle weeds and pest control.
- Decisions on sports facilities such as the Southbrook Sports Club upgrade and development of the cricket oval.
- A permanent infrastructure resilience team and flood recovery fund.
Upgrades of the Trevor Inch Memorial Rangiora Library and Civic building.
The council is asking if the community is prepared to pay for two major roading projects, which could result in an average rate increase of $56.62 per household per year if the government does not provide an anticipated $15.5m.
The draft LTP warns of a high level of uncertainty around NZTA’s funding for the Rangiora Eastern Link, which is intended to reduce congestion through Southbrook, provide an alternate link to State Highway 1 and allow for housing and business growth to the east of Rangiora; and to replace the narrow Skew Bridge in West Kaiapoi.
Mayor Dan Gordon said it had been a challenging budget, but the council’s proposal was “prudent and responsible”.
He said cost pressures were inevitable given rising inflation and the impact of increased insurance, labour and construction costs.
Even with the deferrals of “non essential projects”, the council proposes spending $693m over the next decade, between replacing assets, increasing services and accommodating anticipated growth, Gordon said.
The district’s population of about 71,000 is projected to reach 100,000 by 2050.
The Christchurch City Council’s draft long-term plan (LTP) proposes an average rates increase of 13.24% from July, Hurunui District Council has proposed a rates rise of 12.37%, Selwyn residents face a proposed average 16% rates rise, while regional council Environment Canterbury has floated an average rates rise of 24%.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.4% Summer
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36.8% Winter
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1.8% Other - I'll share below
Would you like a free copy of our February 2025 issue?
Kia ora neighbours. We give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine. We're still on the hunt for tomato recipes, so send your family's favourite way to use up your homegrown harvest, to: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the mag
⚠️ 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 ❤️
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