Council to discuss Draft Annual Plan for 2008/09

Nelson City Council will meet late next week to finalise details of the 2008/09 Draft Annual Plan including a projected overall rates increase of 11.10%. This figure is still subject to change until the Draft Plan is approved at the end of next week. The Draft Plan will released for public consultation on 8 April 2008.

The overall rate increase is made up of expected increased expenditure as outlined in the 2006/2016 Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) as well as new projects (e.g. Events Strategy) and unforeseen costs (e.g. rising interest rates). These include:

Impact of inflation and interest costs
Increased interest rate $416,000
Increased inflation $1,415,000

Major projects approved by the previous Council and included in the Draft Annual Plan
Funding for pedestrian and cycling strategies $220,000
Share of the additional costs of Saxton Field Stadium $1,000,000
Additional costs of Regional Sewerage Scheme $552,000

New items included in the Draft Annual Plan
Events strategy $200,000
Increased festivals funding $300,000

The Annual Plan process is the main opportunity to influence Council’s direction in this financial year so the community is encouraged to get involved. The new projects Councillors are including in the Draft Annual Plan, additional to the ones already identified in the LTCCP, are picking up on the message from the public that they want to see the city going forward.

Councillors will also be seeking feedback on other important aspects of the Draft Plan including the proposed Sustainability Policy. The Sustainability Policy sets out how Council will work with the community and incorporate consideration of sustainability issues in its decision making processes.

During a series of workshops to discuss the Plan, Councillors were informed that even with the projected increase, Nelson rates are still in the lower third of Council rates around New Zealand.

Following the full Council meeting on Thursday 27 March (and Friday 28 March if required) the final changes will be made to the Draft Plan, which will then be published for public consultation on Tuesday 8 April.

Submissions on the Draft Plan are invited until 4pm on Tuesday 13 May. Council then considers all submissions and holds a series of hearings before altering the Plan as required and adopting it on Friday 6 June.