Hutt City rate rise forecast just 1.8%

Hutt City Council is at the forefront of building a more competitive and productive environment among local authorities within New Zealand, says Mayor Ray Wallace.

“We have the one of the lowest debt loadings in spite of building a new $70 million waste water treatment plant, maintaining our infrastructure and building a world class refuse facility at Silverstream.

“Hutt City Council is the first council, and only the fourth organisation across the whole of New Zealand, to receive a gold Business Excellence Award. This places us amongst the top performing organisations in the country.

“We are supportive of the Minister’s approach to reforms designed to enhance local governance within our region.

“But we are disappointed Hutt City’s position has been misrepresented in the Better Local Government document released by the Minister. The facts in relation to Hutt City are clearly wrong.

“Our average rate rise is listed in the Minister’s document as 8 per cent – our true figure is just over half that number at an average of 4.5 per cent per year.  The forecast average rate increase for the 2012-2013 year is only 1.8 per cent.

“That is an example of good management and tight governance.”

“Hutt City urges the Minister to consider carefully the views of the communities that will be affected by any proposed changes and listens to those councils like Hutt City that have done a good job,” Mayor Wallace says.