Council budget decision

The average increase in rates across Marlborough has been held to 3.2% after a day-long consideration of more than seven hundred submissions from ratepayers.

The figure edged up by 0.4% on the original estimate after councillors reviewed the submissions.

The individual percentage change to rates for the year ahead depends on the location of a property; it is not a uniform increase across the region.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says councillors were well aware that ratepayers expect prudence.

“We aim to get the rate increase as low as possible while taking on board the views of those who made submissions. But it is always tough to decide what is in and what is to be cut. It’s a balancing act,” said Mr Sowman.

Key decisions include: 

Councillors agreed to reinstate annual funding of $50,000 for Arts and Culture Strategy after initially withdrawing it, attracting a raft of submissions calling for it to be restored.

The Aviation Heritage Museum Trust will get a $1.4M loan, rather than the proposed grant of that amount. In return, the Council wants to appoint a council employee as a trustee to increase oversight of the Trust’s activities. The Council also agreed that if the Aviation Heritage Centre raises all the finance to complete the second stage of the Centre itself within five years, the loan will be written off.

Councillors approved the $6M purchase of the existing Civic Theatre block in Queen Street, as well as confirming an earlier agreement to grant $5M for a new theatre.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says the Aviation Heritage Centre has been a success story but the demands of servicing its set-up loan had limited its marketing and growth.

“We know it’s a valuable tourist attraction for the region bringing in good crowds but we would like to work with the Centre to set expanded visitor targets. We also hope the loan conditions will be an incentive for the Trust to move ahead with its second stage of development themed on World War II,” said Mr Sowman.

The Mayor said the decision to buy the Queen Street block including the existing civic theatre was an important town planning measure for Blenheim.

“During the recent public consultations with our town planning consultants, that block was singled out as a strategic site for a mixed community and retail development which would inject life back into Queen Street. The possibility of building a new library there would fulfil that aspiration so it is important to secure the site so the Council is in a position to fulfil that plan at some future date,” said Mr Sowman.

“We don’t know when that will be but we need to start the planning now in the long term interests of the town,” he said.

With the budgets now approved, a full Council meeting at the end of the month will formally adopt the Annual Plan 2011-12 and strike the rates for the year ahead.

Alistair Sowman

Mayor