Council approves plan for year ahead

Following four weeks of community consultation, 2678 written submissions, four days of public hearings and two days of deliberations, Christchurch City Council today adopted its Annual Plan 2012/13.

The Annual Plan 2012/13 sets out all the projects and services the Council will carry out in the coming financial year, how much they will cost and where the money will come from. The plan sets out an overall rates increase of 7.8 per cent, made up of three areas:

• an increase of 4.14 per cent to cover standard services and projects
• an increase of 1.82 per cent, as agreed last year to fund loss of revenue following 22 February and including an increase for the rates remissions policy
• a one-off increase of 1.84 per cent to fund the additional costs of rebuilding our major community facilities to today’s safety standards.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says this is one of the most challenging annual planning processes he has ever considered.

“I believe this Council has done a good job of budgeting to repair everything that was damaged in the earthquakes, while still keeping the rates affordable for residents. These are extraordinary times and we have had to make some big decisions for the future of our city. Earthquake repairs will see the Council carry out the equivalent of 20 years worth of standard maintenance work in the coming five years, in addition to repairs and rebuilds across major facilities.

“This annual plan sets the Council’s direction for the recovery of the city – we have made good progress so far but there is still a long way to go.”

Ten major community facilities

The Draft Annual Plan outlined plans for the future of 10 major community facilities. The Council has acknowledged that the details around the future of these facilities located in the Central City will be dependent on the outcome of the Christchurch Central Development Unit’s blueprint for the Central City due later this year and may need to be amended as a result. Any such changes would not change the rate set today.

Preferred options outlined in the draft plan were largely adopted in the final plan, however there were some changes. The outcomes for each of the 10 major community facilities are:

• Christchurch Town Hall – staff have been directed to evaluate the merits of retaining the main auditorium and developing a new entrance and gathering space provided overall acoustic quality and sense of place can be retained. Budget of $127 million over four years was set aside for the rebuild of the Town Hall and the Council acknowledged the involvement of the CCDU and arts community going forward.
• 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. The Council will continue to work with Government to agree the final scale, location and procurement option for this facility.
• 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, 30,000 capacity rectangular stand. This option does not preclude the later addition of a roof structure.
• Central City Multi-sport Facility and QEII facilities – develop the first stage of a multi-sport hub in the Central City and build a community leisure facility on the QE II site or another site in the east. Staff will work with Athletics Canterbury and report back to Council for approval of location and final details of the athletics track replacement.
• Centennial Pool –.staff will report back to the Council on the feasibility and cost of a temporary repair to the Centennial Pool to provide Central City swimming facilities while stage one of the multi-sport facility is constructed.
• 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.

Changes from draft to final
The final Annual Plan 2013 contains a number of changes to what was set out in the Draft Annual Plan, including:

• An increase of $90,000, from the proposed $230,000 to $320,000, for the repair of the Akaroa wharf in support cruise ship visits and for at least two other community wharves in the area to be repaired.
• A Council report be prepared on the future of the Central City tram and its operations and development.
• Limiting swim coaching fee increases to 3 per cent.
• Free swimming at Council facilities for all high achiever swimmers (rated 1, 2 or 3 nationally) who are not supported by other agencies.
• A Council report be prepared on the provision of temporary walk-in customer service facilities for Council Service Centres that are closed due to the earthquake.
• Funding of $300,000 be set aside to support earthquake response at a Community Board level, following a Council report on the issues.
• Funding of $50,000 for the Victoria Street Precinct planning for the 2012/13 year.
• Funding of $50,000 to enhance Ferry Road/Main Road Master Plan coastal pathway planning to be carried out in 2012/13.
• The Council will continue discussion with Canterbury Cricket and Save Hagley Park over international cricket facilities at Hagley Park, however funding of $1.65 million ear-marked for this will not be spent before the Council approves any works.

Rates remission
The Council amended its rates remission policy for those worst-affected by the earthquakes to offer:

• Rates remission on the value of improvements (capital value), or 40 per cent if greater, for residential properties that are unable to be occupied - this policy is often referred to as rating at “bare land” value only.
• 30 percent rates remission for business properties located within the Central City cordon as at 1 July 2011 and for the period they remain within the cordon (an extension of the current policy).
• 30 per cent rates remission for businesses outside the Central City cordon for the period that the buildings are unable to be occupied due to dangerous adjacent buildings (an extension of the current policy).  100 per cent rates remission for residential properties that have received a section 124 notice requiring the resident to vacate the property because it is at risk from rockfall, cliff collapse or other geotechnical hazard.

The Council has also proposed a Rates Postponement Policy, for red zone land that was vacant and residential properties under construction at 22 February 2011 in the red zone. This allows rates to be postponed until 30 June 2013 or until Central Government makes a decision on the future of these properties.