Send in Your Feedback on New Plymouth District Council budget

Consultation begins tomorrow (Wednesday) on New Plymouth District Council’s draft Budget 08/09.

“People have a month to read up on the draft documents and send in their submissions to the council,” says Mayor Peter Tennent.

The draft Budget 08/09 includes a full programme of infrastructure renewals and improvements across the district, and generally maintains the current levels of service.

However two minor service reductions are proposed: Reducing the opening hours of Puke Ariki and reducing the budget for pre-seal repairs to footpaths.

“We’d really like to hear their feedback on those two proposals, as well as the draft budget as a whole,” says the Mayor.

Additional revenue ideas have been raised by councillors, such as introducing more fees at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and some sort of fee for the TSB Bank Festival of Lights.

While these are not included in the draft Budget, Mayor Pete says the council would like some public feedback on these and any other ideas for generating revenue.

Alongside Budget 08/09, the council is also consulting on the review of fees and charges for 2008/09, the New Plymouth District Bylaws 2008 and a proposed amendment to the Policy on Development Contributions.

Copies of all the documents can be picked up at the Civic Centre, Puke Ariki and district libraries, and on this website. Comments can be made in writing on submission forms, sent in by fax or email, by phoning the council, or online through NPDC’s website.

Budget 08/09 proposes the following rates increases. (These numbers include the savings from changing Puke Ariki’s opening hours and reducing the footpath pre-seal repairs budget.)

General rates: 4.9 per cent (average increase across all ratepayers).
Uniform annual general charge: $362.50 (no change).
Water supply targeted rate: $290.00 (a $22 per year, or 8.2 per cent, increase).
Sewage disposal targeted rate: $415.00 (a $67, per year, or 19.3 per cent, increase).
Refuse targeted rate: $52.00 (a $5 per year, or 10.6 per cent, increase).
Combined, these increases total an average rise of 8.41 per cent in rates – although with two qualifications:

A ratepayer would be charged a targeted rate only if their property receives that service.
The individual increase in general rates will vary from ratepayer to ratepayer depending on their property’s latest valuation and how that compares with the average increase in that property category.
Much of the revenue from the targeted rates would help fund a programme of infrastructure renewals and improvements across the district.

Because of the council’s strong financial situation, two-thirds of the money to pay for the proposed expenditure in Budget 08/09 will not come from rates and service charges, but from the $21.5 million payment from the Perpetual Investment Fund and other income such as fees and charges, and borrowing.

Submissions close at 5pm on 2 May. (Note: The closing date for submissions on the trade waste bylaw is 5pm on Tuesday 3 June.)