Councillor Alister James, Chairman of the Council’s Strategy and Finance Committee, says this year’s Annual Plan provides for “responsible and steady progress” with actual and predicted rating levels in the next three years below 4 per cent.

Cr James said Councillors and staff were working to lower expected increases. “I’m confident further savings can be achieved having regard to the reviews being undertaken by the Budget Scrutiny and Audit Committee and an Annual Plan statement that the operational budget will be reduced by at least $10 million by 2005/2006.”

However, he said the City Council continues to face rising numbers of requests for extra spending on current projects and new schemes, at the same time as wanting to ensure rates increases are kept to a minimum. Committee members also noticed and commented on an apparent upward swing in the numbers of community, welfare, religious and cultural groups and charitable trusts seeking ongoing ratepayer support at a time when other funders’ resources were under pressure.

Public interest

Cr James said several issues in the Plan were worth specific mention because of the level of public interest in them.

• Lyttelton Boating. The Council decided to alter its plan to put in money to support public boating facilities at Lyttelton. Instead of spreading the $3m it proposed over three years, it will now provide the money over the next two years in the hope it will stimulate the needed private investment.

•New Brighton. The Master Plan to reinvigorate New Brighton, with its emphasis on development of the foreshore and beach park, has Council support. In its forward plans the Council has earmarked $1.4m to support the plan and $150,000 for playground development. Any special rate which might come from businesses in the area would be in addition to that sum.

•Aranui Renewal. The Plan includes further work towards the Aranui Renewal strategy, including money for Living Streets work and street lighting in Hampshire Street, lighting for Wainoni Park and a school speed zone on Breezes Road.

• First-hour-free parking. The Central City firsthour- free parking scheme has been extended to include the Manchester Street car park. The scheme will be funded by changes to parking meter charges and a small increase in casual and earlybird parking charges. The Hospital car park charges will remain at $1 an hour.

•Cathedral Square. Cr James said his colleagues accept that the Square must be finished “once and for all”. The most recent proposals to achieve this will go before the Council’s Strategy and Finance Committee for consideration and public consultation will follow. Money for the work is likely to be in the 2003/04 budget.

• Kerb and Channel. From 2005/06 the Council plans to put another $2m for kerb and channel renewals.

•Multicultural city. To support multicultural advocacy and development in the city, the Council will spend $50,000 a year.

• The Christchurch City Council’s 2002/2003 Annual Plan is available on the Internet — via a direct link on the homepage at www.ccc.govt.nz — and, from 13 August, bound copies of the Plan will be available free from all Council Service Centres and the Civic Offices on Tuam Street.