By Chelsea Boyle
Carterton homeowners could face a rates hike of up to 10.5 per cent.
And while some rural ratepayers could end up getting a decrease, all residential ratepayers across the board are facing increases – between 7.7 per cent and 10.5 per cent.
Under the proposal, rural commercial properties with connected water and sewerage on a capital value of $160,000, for example, would face the biggest hike of 12.1 per cent.
The proposed move is to help fund a large sewerage development which will begin next year with a goal of preventing treated wastewater from entering waterways.
The rates increase, which the council says averages 3.6 per cent, has been targeted at the urban area leaving some rural properties looking at a 11.2 per cent decrease in rates.
The issue will be discussed at a council meeting tomorrow, where it is likely councillors will vote to move into consultation with the community.
Corporate services manager Marty Sebire said overall they were looking at a 3.6 per cent increase in the average rates.
“It’s going to affect different ratepayers in different ways, depending on where they live and what rates they are subject to, the value of their property and so forth.”
Starting next year a large sewerage development is going to impact mainly on urban rate payers, he said.
“The general rate is going down, but most of the other targeted rates are going up.
“If we exclude that large development than the increase in the average rates is only 0.8 per cent.”
Carterton Mayor John Booth said by proposing to defer construction of the reservoir, the single largest component of the sewerage development scheme, it would ease the impact on rate payers.
“The biggest issue facing us now is finding a way to eventually discharge all our treated water to land that is affordable for our small community.”
The standards they must meet for discharging treated wastewater were rightly becoming more stringent, he said.
“From an environmental and cultural perspective, we believe that is the right thing to do. But it will come at significant cost, and it must be affordable.”
Mr Booth said he was keen to hear from Carterton people about the proposed rates and recommended that they get on to the council website to calculate what the rates specific to their own household would be.
Example of the change in rates under the proposal are:
Low value residential properties with a capital value of $165,000 would face an increase of 10.5 per cent.
Medium value residential properties with a capital value of $290,000 would face an increase of 8.6 per cent.
High value residential properties with a capital value of $365,000 would face an increase of 7.7 per cent.
Rural commercial properties, with water and sewerage connected and capital value of $160,000, would face an increase of 12.1 per cent.
Commercial properties with two toilets and a capital value of $475,000 would face an increase of 5.3 per cent.
Rural properties with no water race and a capital value of $1,500,000 would face a decrease of 1.3 per cent.
Rural properties with a capital value of $600,000 and with a single water race (8 hectares serviced by Carrington water race) would face a decrease of 11.2 per cent.
Rural properties with a capital value of $1,000,000 and with a single water race (17 hectares serviced by Taratahi water race) would face an increase of 4.4 per cent.
Council are considering combining Taratahi and Carrington races as one network for rating purposes.
The improved sewerage system should have been implemented years ago. Leaving it longer will only hit both pockets and the environment harder.
Yes consultation is needed and ears and minds need to be open when facing changes of infrastructure to service the adopted modern lifestyle of our times.
We need to change our lifestyle and that involves a lot of thinking and planning well beyond a change in sewerage treatment and disposal.
Waste creation and disposal is another overlooked matter that will hit us hard in the long term. Local resilience is a concept we all must face and that includes local supply of essentials not luxury and resource hungry froibles many seek at great cost to the environment and ultimately all out lifestyles.
Shoot ! This will hit people on one income hard and especially those on low incomes !
Given the recent reported increase in CDC wages and also the commented savings made in contractor costs – this will need consultation to justify.
Seriously, the council is proposing a regressive tax, where the the poorest residents who would generally own the lowest value properties, pay the biggest increase? Rediculous, when our rates are already unaffordably high! Shame on you Carterton DC!
It’s totally stupid. How can they expect house holds to find the extra money? What happened to big scheme that we paid for around 10 years ago?