Feedback sought on Draft Annual Plan

Residents will be able to find out more about what’s in the plan during April and May. A summary booklet will be sent to all homes on the opening weekend of consultation and it will also be available online. Open Days will also be held over the weekend of 28, 29 and 30 April so residents can come along, talk to senior Council staff and find out more about the plan. Community Drop-in Sessions will be held in May in all of the city’s eight Community Board wards.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says it is now in the hands of the people of Christchurch to advise the Council on the way forward.

“This has been a great process and a very challenging one. We have put forward a sound plan that, despite the enormity of the task before us, is able to meet the costs of the rebuild.

“The best thing we can do now is listen. I urge our residents to look at this draft set of accounts and write to us with their thoughts. So, Christchurch, it’s now in your hands – we are laying the framework for the future of this city and we want to hear from you.”

The Council is asking people who make written submissions to consider joining with others if they wish to speak at public hearings. With just four days set down for the hearings, it is expected to be a lengthy process and it will be made more manageable if those with like-minded submissions come together and nominate a spokesperson.

Chief Executive Tony Marryatt says the budget has been prepared with one eye on the bottom line so we can rebuild what was damaged while keeping rates affordable.

“We have put together a good plan for the future. We want to deliver what is best for the city, but we only have a limited pot of money, insurance only goes so far and it does not cover bringing our buildings up to new standards.

“There is lot of work to do in coming years and the Council has prepared a financial strategy to fund the rebuild. In order to achieve this without burdening residents with large rates increases, we will borrow to meet the costs – we have always maintained a strong financial position and we are in a good position now to borrow. This also means that people who are using the facilities over coming years will be paying their fair share of the costs through their rates.”

The Council today adopted a draft plan that proposes a rates increase of 7.50 per cent, covering three specific areas:

• an increase of 3.74 per cent to cover standard services and projects
• an increase of 1.76 per cent, as agreed last year to fund loss of revenue following 22 February
• a one-off increase of 2 per cent to fund the additional costs of rebuilding our major community facilities to today’s safety standards.

The proposed rates increase has risen from the 7.47 per cent outlined in staff recommendations as a result of Council decisions to: alter the recommended rates remission policy, add a proposal to complete Washington Way Skate Park, add a proposed fund for land purchases as part of the suburban master planning process, and trial a first-half-hour free proposal for consent pre-application hearings.

The Council also adopted preferred options for the repair of 10 major community facilities. All the options considered will described to residents during the consultation period – Council’s preferred options are set out below.

Christchurch Town Hall – repair the existing facility to 100 per cent of the building code.

Convention Centre – rebuild a larger, 21,000 square metre facility on a new Central City site with a request for financial assistance from Central Government.

Christchurch Art Gallery – repair to 100 per cent of the new code with additional earthquake stabilisation work.

Former AMI Stadium – replace existing facility with a new, 35,000 capacity rectangular stand. This option does not preclude the later addition of a roof structure.

QE II and Centennial Pool – develop the first stage of a multi-sport hub in the Central City and build a community leisure facility and athletic track on the QE II site or another site in the east.

Central Library – repair to 100 per cent of new building standards.

Lichfield Street Carpark – repair to 100 per cent of new building standards.

Manchester Street Carpark – repair to 100 per cent of new building standards.

Sockburn Service Centre – replace with a larger service centre and library facility in the south west, bringing forward funding proposed in the 2017 budget. The existing Sockburn site would be retained for public use.

What’s in the plan?

More information about what’s in the plan will be available during the four-week consultation period. Copies of the full Draft Annual Plan document will be available online and in Council service centres and a booklet summary of the full document will be sent to every household.

You’ll also be able to find out more at Open Days planned for 28 – 30 April and at Community Drop-in Sessions to be held around the city.

Confirmed dates, times and locations for these will be available soon.