Three-yearly review of funding system to commence

The Queenstown Lakes District Council is about to carry out a review of its funding and rating system.

“We promised the community that the funding and rating system would be reviewed every three years. Now we are really keen to receive feedback from the community and anyone who has queried our rates structure since the last review in 2005,” QLDC finance general manager Stewart Burns said.

The rates review would be undertaken by a working party known as the Funding and Rating Review Working Party, made up of members of the council’s Finance and Corporate Accountability Committee.

Issues to be covered in the review would include:

* Revenue and Financing Policy
* The report from the Independent Inquiry into Rates (the ‘Shand’ report)
* Targeted rates
* Differential rates (especially the roading rate)
* Funding tools and how rates are apportioned to the various categories of ratepayer.

The review scope would not include the overall level of rates payable. This was decided by the full council as part of the annual plan process.

“The working party will hold a series of eight public meetings in both Queenstown and Wanaka between August 22 and October 17. There’s a lot to get through so we need to take a structured approach. Existing policy and any legislative requirements will be dealt with first,” Mr Burns said.

The first half hour of each meeting would be set aside for members of the public to address the working party directly. “Or people can send in a written submission if they prefer,” Mr Burns said.

It was intended that the working party present its recommendations to the full council on November 28.

More information, including a schedule of meeting dates, was available on the council website – www.qldc.govt.nz