Draft Annual Plan approved

The Southland District Council wants public feedback on issues in its Draft Annual Plan, including options for kerbside wheelie bin collection and adjustments to its roading rate model. Councillors approved the draft plan at an extraordinary Council meeting on Thursday. It is available online, and a summary document should arrive in every district mailbox by Friday, April 23. Submissions close on May 19.

Corporate planner Nicole Taylor said Council has been investigating waste management options for several years and prefers a two-bin system - one bin for recycling and the other for general rubbish - because of the cost.

"However, we want to know what our residents want. Do you want to stay with one bin, which will cost extra anyway because we have to negotiate a new contract, or move to two bins or three bins?" Ms Taylor said.

Southland District properties have also been revalued and Council is very aware of the impact of those revaluations on rates. However, it believes that its present rating system buffers some of the impact of high revaluations.

"Council has also made adjustments to various sectors' share of costs for the roading rate following tonnage and other input data updates, again to buffer some of the larger increases," she said.

But it is important that all residents have a say on the issues and Ms Taylor encouraged everyone to read the summary document when it arrives, or go online to read the full draft.

Council is proposing a District rate increase of 6.45 percent for 2010-2011 in its draft plan, slightly less than the 6.5 percent in the Council's LTCCP.

The draft plan details the differences from what was originally included in the ten-year plan and provides an update on various projects around the District's communities.

"It is important that residents let Council know what they think about the issues as the Draft Annual Plan is used to set the rates from July 1 2010."

Submissions will be heard by Council on June 15 and 16. Council will amend if necessary and adopt the Annual Plan on June 30.