Carterton residents can expect their rates to go up by between 4 per cent and 7.2 per cent on average this year.
A council spokesperson gave this early indication prior to today’s meeting where councillors will decide whether or not to consult on the 2023/24 Annual Plan.
The council spokesperson said that the council was still developing a Draft Annual Plan, which will be ready in late April
“However, our current indications are that it [the average rates rise] will be somewhere between the 4 per cent previously indicated in the Long Term Plan [LTP] and CPI [Consumer Price Index] of 7.2 per cent.
“When we started working on the plan, it was looking to be close to a 20 per cent rating increase and our staff have done an excellent job to get this down to somewhere between 4 per cent and 7.2 per cent after reviewing projects and delaying some that are not urgent — for example the admin building — as well as not funding depreciation on three waters assets.”
In a report to Carterton’s full council meeting today, council staff have recommended an “inform only” campaign, rather than formal consultation on the Draft Annual Plan.
They said this was because there are no significant variations from the already adopted Long-Term Plan.
“This approach still allows council to go out and informally engage with the community to discuss the contents of the draft plan and gather any public feedback,” the report to council said.
The councillors can still choose a formal consultation if they wish, but they will need to be clear on what the council is consulting on and provide options in the consultation document.
Under the Local Government Act, councils are only required to consult on their annual plans if significant changes are planned between the Annual Plan and the corresponding year of the LTP.
Masterton and South Wairarapa councils have not yet reached a point of voting on whether or not to consult on their annual plans this year.
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