New Plan Approved
The City Council formally approved its long-term community plan on 30 June. The process of developing the plan and discussing it with the public sets the Council’s priorities and spending for the next three years and underpins all the organisation’s activities.
Mayor Garry Moore said the 2006-16 long-term council community plan (LTCCP) maintains service levels and ensures sufficient investment to handle expected city growth.
To achieve that requires increases in the average rate for the next three years of 8.2 per cent, 6.78% and 8.77%. While 8.2% is the largest increase for many years, for the “average” property it means an extra $1.85 a week. Increases from 2010 to 2016 are forecast to return to levels Christchurch residents are more accustomed to.
The recently announced Government Rates Rebate Scheme, which sees the maximum rebate increased from $200 to $500 and income thresholds also increased, will significantly assist many ratepayers, especially those on low and fixed incomes.
It is estimated that up to 30,000 Christchurch ratepayers could be eligible for this rebate. A pamphlet about this will be distributed to all ratepayers with their first rates instalment and there is more information in the Rates Rebate Scheme story.
The 10 years of this plan include almost $1.9 billion of spending to maintain, upgrade and add to the city’s essential infrastructure – roading, water supply, sewerage and wastewater treatment, waste minimisation equipment and public transport hubs. Of that, about $133m will be spent on work in the former Banks Peninsula district.
There is substantial city investment committed to ensure that as Christchurch grows it continues to be attractive and agreeable. Included is a $40m fund for strategic land purchases, $195m to improve roading and transport, almost $13m for a new indoor pool and leisure centre at Papanui and $21m to enhance the city’s kerbside recycling and waste minimisation.
Christchurch, along with other growing cities, is seeking to more fairly balance the amount that development (new subdivisions and intensified uses of existing land) contributes to the city-wide costs that growth puts on the city. However, following strong feedback from developers, the City Council has decided to wait a year until the financial implementation of its new Development Contributions Policy. In the meantime, it will work with developers to refine the formulas it will use and how they are applied. Over the decade of the plan, based on growth projections, it is anticipated the policy will contribute over $300m.
At the 30 June Council meeting which formally adopted the long-term plan, Mr Moore said the councillors, organisation and citizens can be proud of a plan that ensures the basics are being properly catered for but which also continues to support the city’s “active humanity”.
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