Draft 2012 Development Contributions Policy

Hutt City Council has reviewed its Development Contributions Policy and is seeking public submissions on a new policy for the 2012-2015 period.

Development contributions are charges levied when a development such as a housing subdivision is undertaken in the city. The charges are intended to achieve financial equity between existing ratepayers and new developers, by fairly allocating growth-related costs incurred by council.

The draft policy outlines:

• What development contributions are and why council is using them as a means of funding growth-related expenditure (see Part 1: Introduction).
• The process one follows to calculate the amount payable for a specific development (see Part 2: Operational Policy).
• How the development contribution fees were determined, including assumptions made and methodology followed (see Part 3: The Substantive Policy).

The main amendment proposed in this review is the updating of the development contribution fees payable. The total charges to be borne by a developer have not changed significantly, and are forecast to remain steady for the three years covered by this review.

The policy is an important part of council’s overall financial management, with significant implications for both council and the community, and you have the right to have your say.

A copy of the draft policy is available at Hutt City Council’s main administration building, the War Memorial Library, or on this website. The policy contains information on how to make a submission.

Submissions close at 5pm on Wednesday,16 May 2011.

If you have any questions, please contact Charlie Hanna on (04) 570 6934 or at Charlie.Hanna@huttcity.govt.nz