waitaki express

Waitaki Express“E X P R E S S Y O U R S E L F T O D A Y !” FRIDAY, March 13, 2009

This is the Summary of the Waitaki District Council’s ten year plan.

The Waitaki Community Plan2009 - 2019.

Ratepayers ask: “Can we keep going at this rate?”

Meetings planned!

$7.6M Rates increase over ten years

A lot can happen in ten years - and it’s all got to be paid for. Most of the

time, we can choose what we pay for. We can save money or we can spend a bit more, but not with taxes and rates. We don’t have a choice about them. We’re told what we have to pay and we have to pay it, whether we want to or not. That’s why ratepayers all over New Zealand are looking for answers now! “I want to know how much it’s going

to cost me in the next ten years,” said a ratepayer today. “Because there’s no choice with Rates, is there? We have to pay them, end of story. I can cut back on what I spend at the supermarket if I want to, but I can’t

roughly $23.6 million in rates. By 2013/14 that will have gone up

to $28.4M and ten years from now, in 2018/19 it will be just over $31.2M.But that can change! Paying the Rates may not be a

choice but we can choose how big the Rates bill will be.Remember, $31.2M in 2018/19 is

only a planned figure. It can change. It could go up. Or it could go down. At the moment, most of the extra $7.6M in ten years is the cost of inflation, plus the cost of improved water supplies, better roads and a major facelift for the Oamaru Harbour. There’s also smaller increases elsewhere. And they all add up.Some of the extra costs will be hard

to avoid. Last year, the Government

passed a law making it compulsory for councils to upgrade water supplies. All we can do is find the best way to do that. But other things are up to us. We can decide if we really want to have them. And how they’re paid for, perhaps by Rates, perhaps in another way.That’s your choice - and the

Council’s. But the Council won’t know what you want unless you tell them. As you read the next few pages, you’ll probably find a number of things you want to change. And if you do, then say so. It’s your money. It’s your future. It’s your chance to tell the Council what you choose. And it’s their job to listen! A ten year plan should include the

community’s plans - this is your chance to tell us what yours are.

do that with my Rates. So I want to make sure nothing’s wasted. I want to be sure I’m not paying any more than I need to.”Other ratepayers agree. “It doesn’t

matter where you live in New Zealand,” says one, “you have to pay taxes and you have to pay Rates. Well, I want to live here, that’s my choice. And I want good services. I want clean water and good roads. I want things like libraries and parks for the kids. I want to see us go ahead. I know that costs money. And I don’t mind paying - if it’s reasonable. But it’s got to be reasonable. It’s got to be something people can afford.”So the big question is: Can we afford

a $7.6M increase in Rates over the next ten years? In the 12 months from July, the Council will collect

Omarama: Fire Station Hall Thursday, 26 March at 7.00pm Otematata: Lakes Centre Monday, 30 March at 7.00pmOamaru: Oamaru Club Thursday, 2 April at 7.00 pmPalmerston: Palmerston Sports Hall Tuesday, 7 April at 7.00pmHampden: Community Hall Wednesday, 8 April at 7.00pmFive Forks: Community Hall Thursday, 9 April at 7.00pm

There’s no point having a view and not sharing it. All you get is heartburn and nobody else ever has to think about your opinions.So, if you think things can be done

better, if you think there’s ways to save money, or maybe places where more needs to be spent, then you owe it to yourself to nail your colours to the mast.The whole point of having a Draft

Plan is so people can talk about it. And can change it based on what they think.So after you’ve read this paper, and

decided what you think, take the

chance to make your views known. There will be several chances for you to get the facts, give the Council a flea in the ear, or a pat on the back at public meetings. These will be a chance to hear what’s planned and a chance to talk about any changes you think need to happen. It’s your money. It’s your future.

Both of them are worth a couple of hours of your time. Then, there is a form at the back of this Summary where you can write whatever you like. There’s also some questions about ‘hot topics’ that you may wish to answer so what you want can go into the mix. Once you’ve filled in page 12, you can drop it off next

In brief

“How much will my

business have to pay?” RATES - PAGE 3

“Do we need a

slimmer waste line?”

WASTE - PAGE 5

“What are you shaving to make the

saving?” CUTS - PAGE 7

“Will I getan art

transplant?”

SOCIAL - PAGE 8

Let’s face it, that’s what matters most to most of us. “Give me the bottom line” - that’s really the crux of the matter.It would be nice to say that

everybody’s rates are going to go up 3.3% next year because that’s what the overall rates rise looks likely to be.The problem is that 3.3% is an

overall figure, the total rate rise. Some people’s rates will go up less and some will go up more than 3.3%, depending on where they live and what their property is worth.What will happen in March is that

every ratepayer will get a newsletter setting out the actual bill for their property. That newsletter will tell you what rates rise there may be for your property.

“What I really want to know is - what will it cost me

next year?”Seaside Facelift? Some say YES!

Some say NO!

Of course, this Plan covers a decade so there is a 10 Year Question as well - “What share of my income are the rates going to be?” The answer will be different for different people but, looking at average incomes, there’ll actually be very little change. Official figures give us an average (or median) income of $43,000 today, with rates taking a 3.6% share of that. Ten years on, when rates and incomes have both gone up, the share will be 3.7%. Rates will rise to a 4% share in 2013 and 2014 but then drop back to almost exactly the same percentage they are now. In 2008, the Shand Report recommended rates should be no more than a 5% share of average household incomes and the Council always aims to keep below that level.

RATES VERSUS INCOMEtime you’re in the Council offices in Oamaru or Palmerston, or at any of the libraries in the District.The meetings to talk about the Draft Waitaki Community Plan are as follows:

Waitaki Express - express yourself today! p a g e 2

W A I T A K I D I S T R I C T C O U N C I L D R A F T T E N Y E A R P L A N S U M M A R Y

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Planning ten years ahead is one of the biggest challenges we face as a Council. Council has sympathy for constraints that businesses may be operating under and believes that Council must share in those restraints and minimise the impact of rates. However, we also want to make sure that Council’s services and facilities are in good shape for the future. We want to make the best of opportunities as they arise and leave a positive legacy for our children. In this Draft Waitaki Community Plan 2009-19 we’ve strived to achieve a balance. That is, a balance between the needs of the future and the realities

of today – in any event we are always constrained by what we can afford.We must invest in infrastructure, such as roads and water supplies, to ensure the District meets new Government requirements and continues to move forward. Basic services will be our main focus.Changes have been proposed in waste processes, tourism rates, community assets and service levels.We’ve appreciated the input we’ve had so far from the community on these and other important issues.This Summary of the Draft Plan highlights the key proposals Council is making for the coming ten years.

Planning Ahead

Opportunities & Challenges

“So, what is this Community Plan anyway?”

“Why have a Summary?”

“How can I tell the Council what I want?”

“Why should I be interested in the

Community Plan?”

The Draft Waitaki Community Plan 2009-19 is Council’s ten year plan (also known as a Long Term Council Community Plan – or LTCCP, if you want to use Government jargon). It’s something that Government requires all Councils to do. The Plan provides information on all of Council’s activities. This includes everything from roads

to libraries. It tells you what the Council is proposing to do for all its activities over the next tenyears, how much it will cost and how we’re going to pay for it. The Draft Plan also contains the key policies and assumptions that underpin Council’s planning and proposals. Community Plans are reviewed every three years and the Council’s

Let’s face it - most people aren’t going to be rushing off to the Council to pick up the full Draft Waitaki Community Plan. It’s two volumes and several hundred pages long. Most of us just don’t have the time, or the inclination.This Summary highlights some of

Well, OK, the Plan’s not the most exciting thing you’ll ever read. But it is important.

The Waitaki Community Plan sets

Check out page 11 of this Summary. It has information on the consultation and submission process, including where to view or pick up a copy of the full Draft Community Plan document, how to ask questions

out the Council’s plans and budgets for the coming ten years. It will affect all of us in some way, at some time.Although changes can be made

during our Annual Plan processes, and in future Community Plans, the decisions made now will have a big impact on shaping the District’s future wellbeing.

last Plan was adopted in 2006. Reviewing the plans every three years gives us a chance to see where the District is heading and what changes need to be made to make sure we’re heading in the direction the community wants. The Draft Waitaki Community Plan also incorporates the Council’s draft Annual Plan 2009/10.

the key issues from the full Draft Waitaki Community Plan, and shows the impact on rates over the coming ten years. We want to make sure that you know what’s being proposed and how it’s going to affect you. We also need you to tell us what you want.

and get more information, and how to tell us what you think by giving feedback or making a submission. There’s a submission form on page 12. Please make use of it to tell us what you want.

Many of these proposals are based on the feedback we’ve already had. I trust that you will respond to the questions we’re asking so that we can make final decisions that reflect the aspirations of the whole community. If you don’t tell us what you think, who will?We look forward to your feedback and submissions.

Alex FamiltonMayor of Waitaki

Tui

Fees & Charges 3Rubbish & Recycling 5Water, Port & Roads 6Cost Savings 7Community Assets 8Hall Boundaries 9Financial Information 10Consultation 11Submission Form 12

Contents


W A I T A K I D I S T R I C T C O U N C I L D R A F T T E N Y E A R P L A N S U M M A R Y Let us know. If you don’t, who will?

Business Area Rating Map“How much will my

business have to pay?”

“How much is Tourism going to cost me?”

THE PROPOSALThe Council is suggesting that part of the cost of tourism promotion and Visitor Centres will be paid for with a new rate. This rate will be paid by businesses that may get a direct benefit from the spending. So the suggestion is that those selling food or liquor, fuel or tourism products or offering accommodation would pay 20% of the cost for tourism promotion and Visitor Centres.If agreed to, this new Capital Value rate would start in 2011. After that, tourism promotion and Visitor Centres would be paid for by:

An Oamaru Business Area Rate. • This would pay 10% of the total cost.A General (Land Value) Rate. This • would pay 35% of the total cost.A District Services (Capital Value) • Rate. This would also pay 35% of the total cost.A new Tourism Rate (for businesses • selling food, liquor, fuel, tourism products or accommodation). This would pay 20% of the total cost.

The Council’s suggestion wouldn’t mean an increase in the tourism

Good question. And one a lot of people are asking right now. That’s why the Council is considering a change to the way it funds Waitaki tourism promotion and Visitor Centres.At present, the money for tourism promotion and Visitor Centres comes from 3 different rates:-

The Oamaru Business Area • Rate. This pays 12% of the total cost.The General (Land Value) Rate. • This pays 44% of the total cost.The District Services (Capital • Value) Rate. This pays 44% of the total cost.

Some people have told the Council they don’t think this is fair. They say some ratepayers get more benefit from tourism promotion and Visitor Centres but only pay the same as, say, a household, a farm or a non-tourist business.The people who want a change say those who get more benefit from tourism should pay a bigger share of the Rate.We want to make sure that you know what’s being proposed and how it’s going to affect you. We also need you to tell us what you think.

rate. It would not go up. It would just be paid in a different way. Most ratepayers would pay a little less. Some ratepayers would pay more. But only if they were selling food, liquor, fuel, tourism products or accommodation. For example, using today’s figures, if such a business had a Capital

Value of $100,000 it would pay an extra $120 in rates per year.Of course, if people asked the Council to spend more on tourism promotion and Visitor Centres, everyone would pay a little more. And if people asked the Council to spend less, everyone’s rates would go down.

What do you think?Should the business rating area be bigger?Would that be fairer?Should it stay as it is now?Should we have two areas, maybe Inner and Outer, with one paying a higher business rate than the other?

What do you think?Should there be a new tourism rate?Is there a fairer way to pay for tourism services?Should other types of businesses also pay any new rate? If so, what would those businesses be?Should the rates stay as they are now?Should the Council rate be less for tourism promotion, or fund it in another way?

Once again, that’s up to you. Especially if you’re running a business in Oamaru. Because the Council is suggesting a big change there that will affect a lot of businesses. If it goes ahead, some will be better off but others won’t, so this is likely to be a hot topic.

THE PROPOSALRight now, Oamaru’s got its own special business rating area. All the businesses inside that area pay a higher business rate. The Council’s suggestion would not increase that business rate. But it would increase the business rating area. The map to the right shows the proposed changes.So the new business area would run north up Thames Highway and south on Severn and Wansbeck Streets. All the businesses that front onto Thames Highway, Severn Street and Wansbeck Street would pay the current business rate. The change isn’t being suggested so the Council can get more money. It won’t. The rate stays the same. But with more businesses paying, the cost would be spread. That’s pretty simple, really - a bigger area may be fairer. Right now, there are businesses inside the business rating area paying more than businesses outside it, even though they’re both doing the same thing. Creating a bigger area would treat

those businesses equally. The same amount of money would be collected from more people. Obviously, that means some businesses would pay less and some businesses will pay more. And it could be a lot more. Businesses outside the business rating area we’ve got now would see their rates go up 80% to 100%. Businesses inside the existing area would see their rates go down, but not as much, simply because there’s more of them.



If there’s no such thing as a free lunch, there’s also no such thing as a free glass of water - or shower, or clothes washing either.

Supplying water is a costly business, paid for with rates and water meter charges. Although, in Oamaru, for the last two years, surplus funds from the Oamaru Water Account have also been used to pay some of the bills.

Which is fair. The funds in that

“A uniform annual general charge- Is that for dry cleaning?”

“Will I have enough money on tap?”

This is a tricky business. Councils can and do charge Development Contributions but the law is complicated and Court rulings mean there are even more issues to consider. The Council did approve a Development Contributions Policy in 2006 but some of you have told us you don’t think we’ve got it right. We agree. So the Policy’s been changed. And we think it’s fairer. Most Development Contributions are now lower than they were, although the charges for roading have gone up. There’s a need for balance here. New developments do mean service upgrades and those upgrades have to

“Who pays for new development?”

“How much to get rid of my rubbish?”

Getting rid of rubbish is an increasingly costly business. The new Waste Minimisation Act 2008 has also made it a tougher business. We’ve got to pay for it. And we’ve got to stick by the rules.

We’ve got to cover these costs somehow. This means the cost of taking your rubbish to the landfill will need to increase. If it doesn’t, then rates will have to go up.

As an example, if we were to charge $10 less for dumping rubbish, we’d need $150,000 more in Rates.

Account come from rates and charges so, as long as there is extra money available, it should be used to keep rates and charges down.

And it has been. But that will need to change. The Oamaru Water Account must keep some funds in the kitty for emergencies, planned equipment replacements and to pay for any upgrades the Government tells us we have to make. So the two year reduction of rates and water meter charges will end in July this year.

THE PROPOSALSome people in Oamaru pay for water through their Rates.

But others pay for what they use through Water Meter charges.

At the moment, that charge isn’t paying all the cost of water supplies. But, from July, the intention is that it will.

The meter charge for a unit of water

be paid for. But the Council doesn’t want that to stall growth. We don’t think the new Policy will deter anyone with a sound development proposal. However, you may not agree. So, if you are planning a development of any sort, you should look at the new Policy and let us know if you think more changes are needed. It will be adopted as part of this Plan so the time to talk to us is now.The proposed Development Contributions Policy is in Volume Two of the full Draft Plan. Details on how to get a full copy of the Draft Plan are on page 11 of this Summary.

will cover 100% of costs. Put simply, the price is going up.

And for those with meters, the increase could be big, possibly 45% - if the same amount of water was used.

Those paying Rates, will also see an increase but it will be smaller.

The move to cover 100% of water supply costs will definitely have the biggest effect on those with meters.

In both cases, the reason for making this change is to be sure that everyone pays their fair share for the sort of services the UAGC helps to support.

What do you think?Is it fair to change the rules for UAGC?Should every “separately used and inhabited part” pay it’s own UAGC?Is it fair to raise camping fees so that ratepayers pay less? And the same for Building Consents?If you don’t think these proposals are fair, what would you do instead?

What do you think?Should people who dump rubbish at the landfill pay more to cover the costs?Do you think rates should go up to cover the extra costs of dumping rubbish at the landfill instead?

What do you think?Should all the increase in Water Meter charges begin in July?Or should it be phased in over a longer period?

FEES PLEASE?There’s nothing like some extra rules and regulations to make life more complicated. And lately, the Government’s brought in a lot of new rules and regulations. Which means it takes more people and more time to deal with things like resource and building consents. And that means more cost.

To make sure ratepayers don’t foot the bill, the Council intends to raise its fees. Which means getting a resource consent or a building consent will cost more.

HAPPY CAMPERS?Right now, every ratepayer is paying some of the running costs for the nine camping grounds the Council operates at the Waitaki Lakes. Council wants to cut the cost to ratepayers and raise the user charges at those camping grounds. But that means campers will face big increases in fees over the next 10 years. The other option is for the Council to close some of the camping grounds in order to reduce costs, especially for ratepayers.

No, it’s not. Because it’s not that kind of Uniform. This Uniform Annual General Charge is something every ratepayer pays. And every ratepayer pays the same. That’s why it’s called a Uniform Annual General Charge. The UAGC helps pay for services people use, like halls, the Library and Aquatic Centre.

At the moment, most properties pay ONE Uniform Annual General Charge. But, on some properties, there’s more than one house (and family) and, in some commercial buildings, more than one business as well.Council is considering a change. Instead of rating ONE Uniform Annual General Charge per property a separate UAGC would be paid by (excuse the jargon) “every separately used and inhabited part”. So, if there were 3 houses (and families) on a property, there would be 3 UAGC’s. And if there were 5 separate businesses in a building, there would be 5 UAGC’s.



“What am I supposed to do with this load of old Rubbish?”

“DO WE NEED A SLIMMER WASTE

LINE?”The good news is, we won’t take the money, either. Not if the Council bags go. Which they will, unless there’s a clear call to keep them.Right now, the Council does run its own black bag rubbish collection service. The bags are used in Oamaru and 14 other townships. But only by around 17% of people.Around 83% get their rubbish picked up by private firms. That’s a lot of people not using the Council service. Even though they’re paying for it.Because everyone is. Whether they use the bags or not. Yes, there is a charge for them - $1.70 each. But that’s not the total cost of the black bag service. The rest comes from a

rate - which everyone pays, whether or not they use the bags.What the Council’s planning to do is to scrap the bags completely. The aim is to stop selling black bags at the end of this year, 2009.Scrapping the bags will save ratepayers $130,000 a year. Instead of 83% of people getting a private firm to pick up their rubbish, everyone will do so, with the Council making sure there’s a choice available in small settlements.The other option is to keep the black bags but make sure those who use them pay all the costs. In that case, the price of a bag would go up from $1.70 to more than $5.00.

Well, we can’t just chuck it away any more. And even if we could, a lot of people wouldn’t. They don’t want old-style rubbish dumps. They want recycling. They want waste reduction. And so does the government.The rules are tougher now. Councils can’t just find a hole in the ground, fill it with junk, cover it when it’s full and then forget about it.We have to do things differently. Waste is now a costly and complex business. That’s why the Council’s spent a lot of time and money looking at better ways to manage rubbish, recycling and the dumps (or landfills) we’ve got in the District.The biggest landfill is in Oamaru.

And it’s running out of room. Fast! If we keep putting as much rubbish in as we are now, pretty soon it won’t be a Landfill, it will be a Landfull. And we’ll have to close it, either in 2012 or 2013.So we’ve got 36 months to reduce the amount of rubbish we’re dumping. If we do, the Oamaru Landfill could stay open till 2016. And that would save a lot of money.But, sooner or later, it will have to close. So we’ve got to think about what comes next:

We could ask for a new consent • from the Otago Regional Council to keep the Oamaru Landfill open past 2016. That would buy us time but it’s not a long-term answer. We could build a new landfill • somewhere in the District.We could join with other • Councils to build one big, regional landfill.Or we could pay somebody else • and use their landfill.

The Council will apply for a new Oamaru consent but we can’t be sure we’ll get it. Building a new landfill to meet today’s standards will cost millions of dollars. Rates will go up. And the District will get another contaminated site.

The other options probably won’t cost as much. But some say they don’t want our waste being taken somewhere else. They say rising fuel prices make this too risky. And that it’s not good for the environment.

“It’s (Not) in the bag”

“Will our loo’s be flushed with

success?”Over the ten years of the Plan the Council will improve sewerage plants around the District to be sure we keep operating them to the standards set by Regional Councils to protect the environment.

This will affect rates in those communities, which include Kakanui, Kurow, Moeraki, Omarama and Palmerston.

In Northern Oamaru, we are extend-ing sewer pipes to be able to service future industrial development.

What do you think?Should the Council’s black bags go? Or stay?Would you pay $5 for one?Or should some rates money be used to keep the price down?Since around 80% of people are already using private firms, should Council get out of rubbish collecting and let everyone make their own arrangements?

What do you think?Is minimising waste the way to go?Do you think it makes sense to you for the Council to take that approach?Would you rather have kerbside recycling even if it cost more?Do you think we can afford to run a kerbside service?

What do you think?Should the Herbert Transfer Station close down or stay open?Should there be a recycling service instead?Or would you rather save another $7 000 in rates?

What do you think?Should Waitaki’s waste be dumped here even if that cost more?Should we go it alone and build a new landfill to replace the Oamaru one?Should we build a regional landfill or pay to use some public or private landfill?Is cost your issue or are there other issues that matter to you?

CHANGINGSTATIONSWe’ve got a number of transfer stations in the District. The aim is to make sure almost everyone can get to a transfer station less than 25km from their home. Except for people in the Herbert area. There’s actually two transfer stations within 25km there - one in Herbert and one in Hampden. Because of this double-up, Council wants to close the Herbert Transfer Station and start a recycling service instead.

That would save $25,000 in 2009/10 and $33,000 a year after that. The savings would go up to $40,000 a year if there wasn’t a recycling service in Herbert.

There are three ways we can keep rubbish out of our landfill. We can recycle more. We can produce less. Or we can do a bit of both.There’s been a lot of debate about recycling. Two years ago, the Council planned to introduce a three bin system to collect recyclables, green waste and rubbish for the tip. Some people liked it, others didn’t.After a lot of discussion, the Council decided to bin the bins. A single bin - for recycling only - has since been looked at. But one bin for recycling doesn’t give us the result we need. It won’t divert enough rubbish from the Oamaru landfill to keep it open longer. It will cost money but it won’t save money. However, there is another way that might.

MINIMISING WASTEInstead of the single recycling bin, the Council wants to focus on reducing the amount of waste we all create. The Council wants to work with the whole community - businesses and residents - to reduce waste. Less waste produced means less waste to collect and less to put in the landfill. Promoting waste reduction costs less than collecting a recycling bin and is better for the environment. If the Council does focus on minimising waste, it would stop collecting rubbish. There are other businesses offering rubbish collection services now and, if Council does stop, people would choose the one that suits them best.But this could change. If enough ratepayers say they want a recycling bin, the Council will supply and collect them, although rates would definitely increase if that happened.



“Is this the end of the road for me?”

“And will I like to be beside the

seaside?”

“Will I have a drop to drink?”

Let’s hope not. Our roads are vital. If we didn’t have our roads, it would be much harder for most of us to do the things we need to do. And the things we want to do. That’s why the Council spends more on roads than it does on anything else.We know how important roads are. We know they’re good for the local economy. We know they let people get where they want to go. But all that comes at a cost. One out of every two dollars the Council spends is spent on roads. Last year we spent $9.1M maintaining our roads plus $1.1 M on new roads and $4.1M to improve and renew roads. 57% of that came from the Government, the rest from

Rates. That’s a lot of money for a small community. And it’s not getting any cheaper. In fact, the cost of things like bitumen are going up fast!! Our roads need to be improved. There’s no doubt about that. You know and we know there’s work to be done. But it can’t all be done at once. That would cost too many ratepayers too much money. We’ve got to do the work we need in a way we can afford. Which means making progress more slowly than some people would like. Each year for the next ten years, the Council plans to spend $100,000 in Rates (plus 57% subsidy from the NZ Land Transport Agency). The money will be used to widen some roads and

to seal others that aren’t sealed now. But, to keep Rates down, some other things won’t be happening:*Dust suppression. It’s not planned to spend any money on this over the next 10 years ($250 pays for 100 metres of dust suppression). *Public Transport. It’s not planned to spend any money on this over the next 10 years. *New Parking Areas. It’s not planned to spend any money on these for the next three years.*Amenity Projects (Things like new street lights and footpaths). It’s not planned to spend any money on these next year.

*Coastal Erosion Protection of roads betweeen Oamaru and Waianakarua. The plan is not to spend any money on this next year but to use that time to work out what we can do, how we can do it, and what it will cost. This is a long term issue.The Council has a number of choices. We can do nothing and let nature take its course. We can protect sections of the coastal road only, or spend more money to keep the roads open. The Council will have a Coastal Roading Strategy in 2009/10. An estimated $500,000 ($215,000 from rates - the rest from subsidy) is budgeted to make the Strategy happen from 2010/11.

Absolutely! As long as there’s rain in the sky and water in the rivers. But here’s the thing. It will cost more. And not because we’re putting the price up. Because the Government’s put new rules in. New rules that every community will have to meet.If there’s one thing guaranteed to push up costs in the next ten years, this is it! Last year, the Government brought in new Drinking Water Standards. They cover almost every water supply in the country. And they’re very, very strict.We’ve got 23 different Water Supplies. Until the new rules came in, they were okay. Now only one is. The Oamaru supply already meets the new standards. The others don’t. One is so small it isn’t affected. But 21 are.They must be improved. And they must be improved by July 2013 - six years from now. That’s the law. We’ve got to do it. End of story.There are different ways it can be done. We could:

Build a pipeline from Oamaru • all the way down to Palmerston. That would supply a much larger area with water that meets the new Standard. Building a pipeline would cost $28M.We could build a pipeline from • Oamaru to Kakanui. That would supply a smaller area. Other water supplies would each be brought up to standard one at a time. That would cost $9.4M.We could build a pipeline from • Oamaru to Weston. That would also supply a smaller area. Other water supplies would be brought up to standard one at a time. That would cost $6.8M. We could bring all of the 22 • water supplies up to the new standard one at a time. That would cost $6.7M.

THE PROPOSALWhat we’re planning to do isn’t the cheapest choice. But it’s nearly the cheapest choice, costing only $100,000 more. And it is the best way to handle the growth we think

will come over the next 10 years.The plan is to build a pipeline from Oamaru to Weston and bring the other water supplies up to standard one at a time. The reason for this is simple. Weston is growing. We think it will keep growing. Joining Weston to the Oamaru supply will make sure enough good quality water is available as the area gets bigger.Most of our water supplies are overseen by their own committee, which is chosen by users of the supply. Council needs to work with each committee to sort out what needs to be done.The money for the work will come from three places:-

Rates. The increase will be • different in each case, depending on how much work needs to be done and how many people use the supply. A charge for new users of any • supply. Anyone joining a water supply will pay a lump sum so they can connect to the system.Government subsidies. Most • supplies will get some money from the government. How much they get will be based on need and ability to pay.

To be honest, that depends if it’s there. We’ve got a big problem with erosion, and some of its right in front of Oamaru. The sea is slowly taking bits of the town away. We can let it happen or we can try to stop it.

We think it needs to be stopped. We think it can be stopped. What we want to do is spend $1.8M over the next 10 years to build a number of breakwaters that will protect the coast.These breakwaters will be built

along the coast just north of the Oamaru Harbour. It’s too soon to say exactly what sort of design they’ll be. But they won’t go in unless we’re sure they’ll do the job. The Council will raise a loan to pay for the breakwaters.

BRINGING THEHARBOUR ALIVE The other big thing is making the Harbour a better place to be. There’s a lot that could happen there and getting it right would be a big boost for the District.It’s a great site with a lot of history - and a lot of potential. The plan is to have better walkways (no more sprained ankles), better places to relax and enjoy life, an exciting new children’s playground and a lot more things to see and do. Eventually, it’s hoped there’ll be some cafes, shops and apartments in the Harbour area as well. Improving the Harbour area should mean people will want to invest in those sorts of developments.To encourage that, the Council plans to spend $1M over the next 10 years to help make the Harbour a more alive and exciting place. Most of that money will come from Oamaru ratepayers.

THE HOLMES SHOWTwo of the wharves will also get a facelift. Over the next 10 years,

$276,000 will be spent to make Holmes Wharf safe and useable. We need Holmes Wharf as a breakwater and as a place for people to work or relax. The $276,000 is for necessary work and the money will be raised as a loan.

SUMPTER FACELIFTA keen group of people want to see this very historic Wharf restored. It’s an important part of New Zealand’s history and the Sumpter Wharf Action Group feel it’s time to recognise that. Their goal is to work in partnership with the Council to raise $1M from Trusts and organisations like The Lotteries Commission. If they do raise the funds they need, the Action Group will repair Sumpter’s Wharf so people can walk along it and learn more about its history. Once the repairs are done, the Council would take over the Wharf and maintain it just like parks and footpaths are maintained now.

What do you think?Should we build a pipeline to Weston?Should it go further - to Kakanui or Palmerston?Should we bring water supplies up to standard one at a time?Should the extra Rates cost be averaged out?

What do you think?Is $100,000 in rates per year enough to widen & seal roads? What should our priorities be? Should more be spent on dust suppression, public transport or coastal erosion?

What do you think?Should the two Wharfes be upgraded?Should we spend $1M on the Harbour in the next ten years?Should most of that come from Oamaru ratepayers? Or should the money come from property sales or other sources?Is what we’re planning for coastal erosion protection enough?Should we do more? Or less?



“What will happen when

I’m 64?”

“Will I be able to stride and ride?”

“What are you shaving to make the saving?”

This project had begun to record the memories of long-standing citizens of the District - which created an audio history of the District’s social history. This project would stop if the funding is cut.Rationalise the croquet lawns in Oamaru (savings yet to be determined)Council is proposing to reduce the number of croquet lawns it provides. We haven’t yet worked out when exactly this will happen or what the total savings will be.

ONE YEAR CUTSAll these cuts will happen in 2009/10 which, for accountants, begins in July this year. The money saved could go back into the budgets in later years but for one year only, they’ll give a saving on Rates. Here is a list of some of the bigger cuts that will happen for one year from July:

*$100,000 cut in the Township Amenity Rate. This pays for minor improvements like more street lights or footpaths. These get rated for every year but sometimes some money isn’t spent. With funds in the kitty it seemed a good time to cut this Rate for a year and make a significant saving.*$24,000 cut in the Bridge and Structure Maintenance Rate. A number of bridges will be replaced next year and that means less will need to be spent on maintenance.*$10,000 cut next year in Rates for Aquatic Centre equipment. Once again, there’s money in the kitty, so

That really depends on what you think matters most, lowering Rates or keeping services. Putting a lid on Rate rises is important. Let’s face it, no-one likes big increases. Especially when times are tough, as they are now. And look likely to stay that way for a while. Councils do need to control their spending when things aren’t good. Trouble is, cutting services doesn’t always make people happy either.

Getting the balance right is a tricky business. Spending less does mean getting less. Here are the things that may go, some for the whole ten years of this Plan, some for only one year.

TEN YEAR CUTSThese cuts are proposed for the full ten years:

*$100,000 per year cut in spending on Economic Development. (Total savings:- $1M over ten years)This service is delivered by the Waitaki Development Board for the Council. Cutting their budget will mean that they may not be able to respond to new economic initiatives as quickly or support small or new businesses, and the film industry.*$52,000 per year cut in spending on grass maintenance and litter bins in parks. (Total savings:- $520,000 over ten years)Reducing grass mowing in parks and removing litter bins from some parks will save an estimated $30,000 a year. Reducing grass mowing in the town

What do you think?

Should there have been more cuts?Should there have been less?What cuts do you want?What services do you think must be kept?Should we have more user pays and lower Rates?If so, which users should pay more?

cemeteries will save an estimated $7,000 per yearReducing the standard and frequency of grass mowing at the North Otago A & P Showgrounds will save an estimated $5,000 per year.Reducing the grass mowing at Macraes Domain will save about $10,000 per year.*$60,000 per year reduction in the Council’s Community Development Service. Unless alternative external funding can be found, this is likely to mean disestablishing the role of Community Development Advisor. (Total savings: $600,000 over ten years)The Community Development Advisor role currently supports the following:

Youth Council• Positive Ageing Forum• Work with other youth - e.g. • skate park projectsKids Voting• Children’s Day • Relationship with Maori•

If the role does go, it means that many of these initiatives will stop altogther. It will also impact on the work that other staff are doing.*$15,000 per year cut in spending on making the Culture and Heritage Strategy happen. (Total savings:- $150,000 over ten years)This will mean that it will take longer for some of the initiatives contained in the Strategy to happen.*$10,000 per year cut in spending on the North Otago Museum’s Oral History Project. (Total savings:- $100,000)

What do you think?Should the Council keep its community housing units?Should it continue to offer this service?Should the units cover their costs?Or would you be happy to pay more in rates for them?Are the units we’ve got now the right sort?Should the Council look at building new units?

What do you think?Should we only build tracks when we can share the cost with the New Zealand Transport Agency?Should we rate more for tracks that don’t get NZTA money?Or should we rate less and build fewer walking and cycling tracks, even if they could get NZTA funds?

Remember the old Beatles’ song - “Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 64?” It’s a big question and one we all need to think about. Who should help when help is needed? And what should that help be?At the moment, the Council does help with housing. It owns 108 community home units, most in Oamaru and some in Palmerston.In theory, these 108 units should pay for themselves. In fact, they don’t. The aim isn’t to make a profit, just cover costs. But that’s not happening. There’s a $70,000 overdraft (or deficit) now and a lot more money must be spent to improve some of the older units.Thirty of them need an upgrade and this is planned to happen in 2011/12. It will cost $3.6M. Half of that ($1.8M) will come from the government. The rest will be a loan, repaid with rents from the units.With a deficit now and more costs coming, we do need to talk about the

the Rate could be cut for a year.*A $50,000 reduction in training budgets. In each of the following years, this budget would be reduced by a smaller amount.

CUTS NOT MADEOther cuts were looked at but not made in the end because the Council felt they’d do more harm than good. You may disagree. Here are some of the cuts that were looked at but aren’t currently planned:

*Cutting the $100,000 Rates budget for new road sealing. Council thinks that these projects are too important for economic development and road safety to cut.*Cutting the $12,000 grant to the Waitaki Recreation Centre. Council thinks that this is a valuable community asset.*Cutting $11,000 from the Library budget by reducing hours. The Council considered some other options - such as reducing the Libraries promotions budget, reducing opening hours at Palmerston Library, reducing opening hours at Oamaru Library by one or two hours a week, withdrawing support to Kurow or Otematata Branch Libraries, doubling overdue charges, and stopping the housebound service. In the end, Council decided to leave the promotions budget at its 2008/09 level.

*Closing the Lower Thames Street public toilets. The Council didn’t think this was practical at this stage.

*Postponing $15,000 to restore Holmes Wharf. The Council believes this is too important to the Harbour redevelopment.*Postponing a $50,000 increase in funds for District Plan changes. District planning is a really important focus for the Council to make sure that economic development is sustainable for the environment. It wasn’t considered wise to reduce spending in this area.*Reducing the rates rebates budget by $6000. The Council thinks that this is a really important service to the community and wants to make sure people know about it and can make use of it as easily as possible.

options. For example, the Council could:-

Sell some of its 108 units and • use the money to build new ones, better suited to people today.Sell some of its 108 units and • use the money for improvements to others. This would mean the Council would own a smaller number of units. Sell all 108 units and let someone • else provide community housing.Keep doing what we’re doing • now and upgrade units when someone moves out.

Yes, we’re working on it. Anyone who wants to step out or ride a bike may soon be able to ‘test drive’ a brand new walking and cycling track.The track is planned to run from Weston to the Oamaru Gardens, on down to the Harbour and then north up to Waitaki Boys High. It’s planned to be up and running in the next year or two, but it depends on the Holcim cement plant going ahead.

There are other tracks planned as well. But here’s the thing. They’ll only be built if we can get NZ Transport Agency funds to help pay for them.

Unless you tell us you want tracks that won’t get the subsidy and are happy to pay extra in Rates to get them. It’s a pretty simple choice, really.



That’s the plan, for sure. What the Council wants to do is spend an extra $30,000 on playgrounds each year for the next ten years, making a total of $300,000 extra that will be used for a number of things:-

A teen play area• More skate parks• Better equipment• Improved neighbourhood parks• Two big new playgrounds, both • with extra features for children to enjoy. One of these would be in the Oamaru Gardens, the other at the Harbour Six other major playgrounds at • Palmerston, Moeraki, Kakanui, Kurow, Otematata and Omarama.

The $30,000 extra per year will give us better playgrounds. Without it, there won’t be any upgrades or new equipment. Some playgrounds may close. Or, if not, those we have will be maintained as they are and that’ll be it.

“Am I going to get an Art Transplant?”

“How does our garden grow?”

“Am I going to keep up with

the play?”

“Will I make a splash atthe pool?”

What do you think?Should the Forrester Gallery upgrade in 2011/12?Is the Council right to look for outside funds?Should it pay more of the cost? Or should it pay less?Should the Gallery be upgraded first? Or the Museum? Or the Library?Can we afford upgrades for all three? Or are they good enough now for a community our size?Are you happy to pay higher running costs for bigger and better facilities?

What do you think?Should we spend $50,000 pa to add new features at the Gardens and $50,000 on other parks?Should we spend $100,000 pa at the Gardens or less than $50,000?Should we just maintain it as it is?

What do you think?Should we have some bigger and better playgrounds for young people? Or do we have enough playgrounds?Since there’s a lot of older people in the Waitaki District and a smaller number of young people, how important do you think playgrounds are?And what sort is most important - skateparks, a teenage park, parks for younger children, parks with new and exciting equipment?

What do you think?Is this a priority for you?Do you want a Hydroslide at the Aquatic Centre even if it will increase the cost of operating the pool?

Maybe so. But when that “art transplant” happens and what it will cost is something we need to talk about. At the moment, the Council does have plans to upgrade what you could call our big three - The Forrester Art Gallery, the North Otago Museum and the main Library in Oamaru. Over the years, a number of people have said they’d like to see them upgraded. And, in 2002, the Government passed a law, The Local Government Act, which said that every Council must “promote social and cultural wellbeing”.“What does that mean?” you may well ask. And there’s more than one answer. But the thing that really matters is what may happen here. There’s already been some talk about that. In 2005, the Council asked what people wanted. And some told us. Those views became part of the Council’s Culture and Heritage Strategy.Don’t worry too much about the flash name. The important thing is what it will cost and when it will happen.

THE FORRESTERGALLERYWe think The Forrester is one of the best small galleries in New Zealand. And there are plans to make it bigger and better, with more space, more

room for more art, more storage and a new lift. It’ll cost $3.8M to do all that and the Council plans to start on the work in 2011, provided $3.1M comes from outside funds. The Council does plan to use $700,000 from its property account but nothing from rates. If the $3.1M of outside funds aren’t available, the work won’t start in 2011.

THE NORTH OTAGOMUSEUMWork won’t begin at the Museum for some time, either. The Council’s plan now is for the Museum redevelopment to happen six years from now, in 2015/16. That allows time to look at what people want and how the improvements will be paid for. But there is one thing that should be done before 2015. Two years ago, the Government passed a law which affects how records are stored. We are now legally obliged to meet higher standards. And that means higher costs. In order to do what it has to do, the Council will improve its record archive in 2011/12. The cost will be about $1.3M and this will come from rates.

LIBRARYThe plan is to redevelop the Library along with the Museum in 2015. Obviously, between now and then,

the alternatives will be looked at in detail before it’s decided what will happen, where it will happen and exactly how much it will cost.

The Council is looking at putting in a hydro slide at the Waitaki Aquatic Centre in 2012/13.

Hydroslides are great fun and the Council is expecting it will bring more people along to the Centre.

Although its planned to be funded from grants and will make some income for the Centre, it will also up the operating costs.

It costs a lot of money - $557,000 from rates per year - just keeping the Oamaru Gardens the way they are. And making them better costs even more.In the last few years, the Council has used money from subdivisions and developments to pay for improvements like the restoration of the Display House.At the beginning, $100,000 a year was spent on improvements at the Gardens but for the last two years $50,000 has been spent there and $50,000 on improvements at other major parks.The Council plans to keep spending $50,000 a year on improvements at

the Gardens, giving more pleasure to visitors, many of whom are tourists. That means $500,000 will be spent on improvements in the next ten years. But if the amount went back to $100,000 a year, $1M would be spent on improving the Gardens during the next ten years.Of course, if that happened, there wouldn’t be money available for upgrades to sports grounds or places like Centennial Park. Remember, however much is spent at the Gardens or elsewhere, this extra money will come from subdivision and development funds, so rates won’t go up. It all comes down to priorities.

F o r r e s t e r G a l l e r y



It’s been a long haul reviewing Hall boundaries

“Some other things to think about”

There are 30 halls in the Waitaki District. That’s a lot of places to hold a family get together. Each hall has a committee that takes care of the day to day running of their hall. Each hall also has a rating boundary. The Council gets rates from households within each rating boundary and gives the money to the hall committees, who use it to maintain the halls.

The Council has reviewed the rating boundaries for community halls in the District. The main reason for this was to make sure that every property in the District was within a hall rating area. It was also a chance to see if the committees were happy with their current boundaries.The review has led to some possible changes to many hall boundaries. It also means that every property in the District should now be within a hall rating area.During the review, the Council communicated with the hall committees. Their comments were used to make some changes to the proposed boundaries.Here are the big ones:

New rating boundaries have • been created for Kauru Hill and Kia Ora Halls. These halls are currently not rated for by their committees, but this proposal mean that they can if they want to in the future.A hall rating boundary has been • created for Lake Ohau. At this

stage there is no hall in the Ohau Village and so no hall rate is charged. The proposal will mean that in future a rate can be charged if the community want a hall or other facility built in the future.Other boundaries have been • extended to fill in the ‘white space’ areas – that is, areas on the map where properties are not currently paying a hall rate. This mainly affects the Waihemo and Herbert/Hampden areas, along with some areas in the Waitaki Valley.

Maps of the hall boundary rating areas are included in Volume Two of the full Draft Plan.

THE KAURU HILL HALL PROPOSALProposed changes to the Kauru Hill/Maheno/Five Forks hall rating boundaries will be of special interest to those living in the area. There are two proposals on the map to the left. One is the boundary that was originally proposed by Council. The other (marked by a black broken line) is proposed by the Kauru Hill Hall Committee.If you live in the area and are affected by these rating boundaries, we’d like your feedback on what’s being proposed.

A larger version of this map is available to view online at www.waitaki.govt.nz, or at Council’s offices.

It’s hard to plan ten years ahead in an ever changing world. The full Draft Waitaki Community Plan includes information that has shaped Council’s plans for the future. This includes a Financial Strategy, and ‘Significant Forecasting Assumptions’ for issues like growth, levels of service, climate change and inflation.

THE FINANCIALSTRATEGYCouncil’s Financial Strategy for the next ten years is included in Volume One of the Draft Community Plan. The Strategy explains the overall approach to financial management that Council will take to meet its priorities and aims for the District’s future wellbeing. The Council’s view is that economic growth is the most important thing if we are to maintain the population and incomes necessary to afford an appropriate investment in the social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of the District. There is also an emphasis in the Strategy on the affordability

of rates for current and future generations.

SUSTAINABILITYVolume One of the Draft Community Plan explains the Council’s approach to the issue of sustainable development and how it relates to all of Council’s activities. The Financial Strategy mentioned above stresses the importance of a strong and sustainable economy as the platform for environmental, social and cultural sustainability.

In recent years, Council has received a growing number of submissions addressing sustainablility themes. In December 2008, Council decided to host a Sustainability Forum in 2009, to seek community views and draw on the knowledge and expertise within it. The results of this forum will not be available for inclusion in the final Community Plan, but they will be important in deciding how Council takes a sustainable development approach across its activities into the future.

GROWTHThe Significant Forecasting Assumptions included in Volume One of the full Draft Plan are an important planning tool. Assumptions for future growth (including population, economic and dwelling growth) are of use in long-term planning for infrastructure needs, such as roads and water supplies. In early 2008, the Council had a review to see where growth would be likely to occur in the District over the coming years. The assumptions about growth were made before the current economic decline. The Council has considered this and thinks that the assumptions for growth remain relevant, but that the timing is likely to be different.

Of note is Council’s assumption that growth will occur in the coastal part of Waitaki, and that this should see the population of the District increase from 20,000 to 22,000 over a 15 year period. Council then expects it’s likely that this population will remain steady for some time after that, and that the growth trend will not continue.



“How much money will we need over the next ten years?”

Water and Waste – includes the District’s 23 piped water supplies, stormwater and wastewater services (including reservoirs and pipe networks), as well as rubbish and recycling services (including landfills and transfer stations).

Roads, Port and Airport – includes all of the District’s roads (excluding state highways), footpaths, bridges and other road-related structures, the Oamaru Port and Harbour area (including the breakwater, wharves etc.) and the Oamaru Airport.

Parks and Recreation – includes all gardens and green spaces, all public gardens, Lakes Camping, cemeteries, public toilets, sports and recreation, sports fields, playgrounds, grants to sports and recreation and the Aquatic Centre. Planning – includes community planning and consultation, and district planning. Arts, Heritage and Community – includes the Museum, Forrester Gallery, Libraries, community development and grants, the Oamaru Opera House and community buildings such as Community House and community housing units. Regulatory – includes animal control, building control, emergency management and environmental health. Economic Development – includes economic development and tourism promotion (contracted to the Waitaki Development Board and Tourism Waitaki), commercial property investments, equity investments, i-Sites, and the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. Council and Community Boards – includes the governance activities of Council and the Ahuriri and Waihemo Community Boards.

5 00%

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ten years

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Total rates dollars required for the next ten years

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Council's proposed debt levels over the next ten years

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“Are my Mum and

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The graph below shows the amount of money that is proposed to come from rates to pay for all of the Council’s activities over the next ten years. The graph also shows what each group of activities will require

*Please note in the graph above does not include the income from the Council’s investment activities, which is offset against the total rates requirement. The required rates income is shown in the full Draft Waitaki Community Plan.

from the total rates intake. As you can see, the biggest impact on rates over the next ten years will come from investment in infrastructure, such as water supplies and roads. The big ticket items include the

proposed water scheme upgrades, the harbourside development and increases in roading costs. To put it into some perspective, for every extra $236,000 that the Council spends in 2009/10, this increases the required rates intake by 1% overall.

WHAT ACTIVITIESFALL UNDER THE DIFFERENT GROUPS?The Council’s activities in the graph below are shown in groups. As you

can see, the Council does a lot. The table below gives an overview of what each group represents. For more detailed information on the Council’s activities, refer to Volume One of the full Draft Waitaki Community Plan.

This graph shows the proposed rates increases for the next ten years. They are based on the effects of inflation, higher operational costs and how much money needs to be spent on

new assets and projects. As you can see on this graph, rates increases are likely to be higher than the rate of inflation for a number of years, particularly in 2011/12 and 2012/13.

This is because of the cost of the proposed water scheme upgrades, which are required in order to meet the new Drinking Water Standards.

Council is a lot like a household. There are times when every council, just like a household, has to spend large amounts of money to buy or maintain an important asset. With a household, it might be a fridge, but with a council it might be a new water treatment plant. Like most households, the Council can only afford to pay for these assets over a number of years, and loans allow us to do that. That’s why this Council like the others, will raise loans from time to time. The other reason that the Council uses loans to buy assets is because it’s fairer for ratepayers. Spreading the costs over say, 20 or 30 years, means that the people who benefit from the asset in the future also help to pay for that asset. If we didn’t do this, today’s ratepayers would pay much higher rates. The Council has a policy that sets out

the maximum amount that can be borrowed at any one time and it will be within these limits over the coming ten years. When the Council raises loans, it must pay the interest and repay the loans. This is usually done over a 20 year period and the costs are included in the operating budgets of the Draft Plan. The Council primarily funds all of its required loans from internal sources. The external borrowing is only used to meet any cash flow shortfalls, which are not expected to be required past 2013/14.The biggest impact on our level of debt over the ten years will be the cost of upgrading 21 water schemes in the District so they meet the new Drinking Water Standards which the Government has made every community and Council meet.

Council’s proposed Debt over the next ten years.

Proposed Rates Increases (blue) compared to Forecast Inflation Increases (red) over the next ten years.



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Public MeetingsThe Council will hold five public meetings during the submission period at the following locations:

The purpose of the public meetings is for the Council to present some of the key issues from the Plan, answer questions and hear feedback.

Omarama: Fire Station HallThursday, 26 March at 7.00pmOtematata: Otematata Community Lakes CentreMonday, 30 March at 7.00pmOamaru: Oamaru ClubThursday, 2 April at 7.00pmPalmerston: Palmerston Sports HallTuesday, 7 April at 7.00pmHampden: Community HallWednesday, 8 April at 7.00pm Five Forks: Community HallThursday, 9 April at 7.00pm

RELEASE OF THE DRAFT WAITAKICOMMUNITY PLAN AND SUMMARYThe Draft Waitaki Community Plan 2009-19 and a Summary will be made available to everyone from 13 March 2009.

The Summary will be delivered to every letterbox in the District, and will also be available at the Council offices and libraries, and at other various locations throughout the District. You can also see it on the Council’s website – www.waitaki.govt.nz. The Summary provides an overview of key matters from the full Draft Waitaki Community Plan.

The full Draft Waitaki Community Plan is in two volumes and contains the detailed policies and financial information needed to comply with the Local Government Act 2002, financial reporting standards and Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP).

THESE CAN BEVIEWED AT:

The Council’s Service Centres •at Oamaru and PalmerstonOamaru Public Library•Public meetings and expo’s•Libraries in Kurow, Otematata, •Hampden and OmaramaThe Council’s website •www.waitaki.govt.nz

Additional copies of the Summary, and the full Draft Community Plan (at a cost of $15 for Volume One and $5 for Volume Two, or free on disc), can also be obtained from the Council’s Service Centre staff at:

Phone: (03) 433 0300 0800 108 081 (within the District)Facsimile: (03) 433 0301E-mail: [email protected]

WRITTEN & ORALSUBMISSIONSThe public are invited to make submissions to the Draft Waitaki Community Plan. These can be made by:

Returning the submission form in this Summary to the Council’s Service Centre Staff at:20 Thames Street,Oamaru, or toWaihemo Service Centre at:54 Tiverton StreetPalmerston.Or post it to:WCP 2009-19 SubmissionWaitaki District CouncilPrivate Bag 50058OamaruOr e-mail it to:[email protected] fax it to:03 433 0301

If you want to, you can speak to the Council in support of your written submissions.The Council will hear spoken submissions on the 12th and 13th of May.

PERSONALISEDRATES INFORMATIONAll ratepayers will receive personalised rates information forecasting their rates for 2009/10 under the Draft Waitaki Community Plan.

OTHERCONSULTATIONIn addition to the above, the Council will be:

Holding forums with key • stakeholder groupsWorking with local schools to • include young people in the consultation process.Facilitating a film-making • project with young people around key issues in the plan.

These and other opportunities to be involved in the process will be advertised as required, before and during the submission period.

EXPO’STo help people understand the key issues and get more information about the Draft Waitaki Community Plan, there will be three expo’s you can go to. These expo’s will have displays and there will also be staff and councillors there at certain times so you can ask questions and get feedback. There will also be submission forms and comment cards provided.So you can plan your visit, the expo’s will be held at the following times and places:

The Oamaru Library – from 25 • March to 14 AprilWaihemo Service Centre • (Palmerston) – from 25 March to 14 AprilOtematata Lakes Centre – from • 25 March to 14 April

Submissions close at 5.00pm on Wednesday 22 April



Y

our n

ame:

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

__

*Sho

uld

ther

e be

a n

ew to

uris

m ra

te fo

r som

e bu

sine

sses

?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

the

rate

s st

ay a

s th

ey a

re n

ow?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

the

Cou

ncil

rate

less

for t

ouris

m p

rom

otio

n?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

it fu

nd it

som

e ot

her w

ay?

Y

ES

/ N

O

My

Subm

issi

on:..

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Plea

se a

dd m

ore

page

s if

requ

ired

Do

you

wis

h to

pre

sent

you

r com

men

ts t

o C

ounc

il in

per

son

at a

hea

ring?

Yes

N

o

If ye

s, w

hich

day

and

tim

e w

ould

you

pre

fer?

Tue

sday

12

May

am

Wed

nesd

ay 1

3 M

ay a

m

Tue

sday

12

May

pm

Wed

nesd

ay 1

3 M

ay p

m

Ple

ase

be a

war

e th

at w

hen

prov

idin

g pe

rson

al in

form

atio

n th

at th

is s

ubm

issi

on fo

rm is

par

t of t

he p

ublic

con

sulta

tion

proc

ess

for

the

Wai

taki

Com

mun

ity

Pla

n 20

09-1

9. A

s su

ch, t

hese

doc

umen

ts a

re c

opie

d an

d pl

aced

in C

ounc

il’s s

ervi

ce c

entre

s an

d lib

rarie

s fo

r the

pub

lic to

acc

ess

as p

art o

f the

con

sulta

tion

proc

ess.

Sub

mis

sion

s cl

ose

on 2

2 A

pril

2009

.

*Sho

uld

the

Oam

aru

Bus

ines

s R

atin

g A

rea

be b

igge

r?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

it st

ay a

s it

is n

ow?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

we

have

two

area

s (in

ner a

nd o

uter

) -

one

pay

ing

a hi

gher

rate

than

the

othe

r?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

all t

he in

crea

ses

in w

ater

met

er c

harg

es

b

egin

in J

uly?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

the

incr

ease

be

phas

ed in

ove

r a lo

nger

per

iod?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

we

chan

ge th

e ru

les

for U

AG

C’s

so

ever

y

sep

arat

ely

used

and

inha

bite

d pa

rt pa

ys it

s ow

n U

AG

C?

YE

S /

NO

*Is

it fa

ir to

rais

e ca

mpi

ng fe

es s

o th

at ra

tepa

yers

pay

less

?

YE

S /

NO

*Is

it fa

ir to

rais

e co

nsen

t fee

s so

that

rate

paye

rs d

on’t

pay

for t

he in

crea

sed

cost

s?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

peop

le w

ho d

ump

rubb

ish

at th

e la

ndfil

l

p

ay m

ore

to c

over

the

cost

s?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

Wai

taki

’s w

aste

be

dum

ped

here

?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

it be

dum

ped

som

ewhe

re e

lse,

eve

n if

it co

sts

mor

e?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

we

go it

alo

ne a

nd b

uild

a n

ew la

ndfil

l in

the

Dis

trict

YE

S /

NO

t

o re

plac

e th

e O

amar

u on

e?

*Sho

uld

we

join

with

oth

er c

ounc

ils to

bui

ld a

regi

onal

land

fill?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

we

pay

to u

se s

ome

othe

r pub

lic o

r priv

ate

land

fill?

YE

S /

NO

*Is

cost

the

mai

n is

sue

for y

ou?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

the

Cou

ncil’s

bla

ck b

ags

go?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Wou

ld y

ou p

ay $

5 fo

r one

?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

som

e ra

tes

mon

ey b

e us

ed to

kee

p th

e pr

ice

dow

n?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

the

Cou

ncil

get o

ut o

f rub

bish

col

lect

ing

and

let

eve

ryon

e m

ake

thei

r ow

n ar

rang

emen

ts?

YE

S /

NO

*Is

min

imis

ing

was

te th

e w

ay to

go?

YE

S /

NO

*Wou

ld y

ou ra

ther

hav

e ke

rbsi

de re

cycl

ing,

e

ven

if it

cost

s m

ore?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Do

you

thin

k w

e ca

n af

ford

to ru

n a

kerb

side

r

ecyc

ling

serv

ice?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

the

Cou

ncil

keep

its

com

mun

ity h

ousi

ng u

nits

?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

the

units

cov

er th

eir c

osts

?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Wou

ld y

ou b

e ha

ppy

to p

ay m

ore

in ra

tes

for t

hem

?

YE

S /

NO

*Are

the

units

we’

ve g

ot n

ow th

e rig

ht s

ort?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

the

Cou

ncil

look

at b

uild

ing

new

uni

ts?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

we

build

a p

ipel

ine

to W

esto

n?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

it go

furth

er -

to K

akan

ui o

r Pal

mer

ston

?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

we

brin

g w

ater

sup

plie

s up

to s

tand

ard

o

ne a

t a ti

me?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

the

extra

rate

s co

sts

be a

vera

ged

out?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

the

two

wha

rves

be

upgr

aded

?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

we

spen

d $1

M o

n th

e H

arbo

ur

i

n th

e ne

xt te

n ye

ars?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

mos

t of t

hat m

oney

com

e fro

m O

amar

u ra

tepa

yers

? Y

ES

/ N

O

*Or s

houl

d it

com

e fro

m p

rope

rty s

ales

or o

ther

sou

rces

?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Do

you

thin

k w

hat C

ounc

il is

pla

nnin

g fo

r coa

stal

ero

sion

pro

tect

ion

is e

noug

h?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

we

be s

pend

ing

mor

e on

road

s?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

we

be s

pend

ing

less

on

road

s?

YE

S /

NO

*Is

$100

,000

in ra

tes

per y

ear e

noug

h to

wid

en

a

nd s

eal r

oads

?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

we

only

bui

ld w

alki

ng a

nd c

yclin

g tra

cks

whe

n

we

shar

e co

sts

with

the

NZ

Tran

spor

t Age

ncy?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

we

rate

for t

rack

s th

at d

on’t

get N

ZTA

subs

idy?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

we

rate

less

and

bui

ld fe

wer

wal

king

and

cyc

ling

tra

cks,

eve

n if

they

cou

ld g

et N

ZTA

fund

s?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

ther

e ha

ve b

een

mor

e cu

ts?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

ther

e ha

ve b

een

less

?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

we

have

mor

e us

er p

ays

and

low

er ra

tes?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

the

Forr

este

r Gal

lery

upg

rade

hap

pen

in 2

011/

12?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Is

the

Cou

ncil

right

to lo

ok fo

r out

side

fund

s?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

it pa

y m

ore

of th

e co

st?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

the

Gal

lery

be

upgr

aded

bef

ore

the

Mus

eum

or L

ibra

ry?

YE

S /

NO

*Can

we

affo

rd u

pgra

des

for a

ll th

ree?

YE

S /

NO

*Are

they

goo

d en

ough

now

for a

com

mun

ity o

f our

siz

e?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

we

have

som

e bi

gger

and

bet

ter p

layg

roun

ds

Y

ES

/ N

O

f

or y

oung

peo

ple?

*Do

we

have

eno

ugh

play

grou

nds

now

?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

we

spen

d $1

00,0

00 p

er y

ear a

t the

Gar

dens

?

Y

ES

/ N

O

*Sho

uld

we

spen

d $5

0,00

0 pe

r yea

r to

add

new

feat

ures

a

t the

Gar

dens

and

$50

,000

on

othe

r par

ks?

YE

S /

NO

*Sho

uld

we

spen

d le

ss th

an $

50,0

00?

YE

S /

NO

*Do

you

wan

t a h

ydro

slid

e at

the

Aqu

atic

Cen

tre

e

ven

if it

will

incr

ease

poo

l ope

ratin

g co

sts?

Y

ES

/ N

O

Bes

ide

the

seas

ide

(pg

6)

Cut

s to

cos

ts (p

g 7)

Art

tran

spla

nt -

com

mun

ity a

sset

s (p

g 8)

Aqu

atic

Cen

tre

hydr

oslid

e (p

g 8)

Kee

ping

up

with

the

play

(pg

8)

Gro

win

g ou

r gar

dens

(pg

8)

Bla

ck b

ag ru

bbis

h co

llect

ion

(pg

5)

Plea

se c

ircle

‘yes

’ or ‘

no’ b

esid

e th

e qu

estio

ns

See

the

back

of t

his

form

for i

nfor

mat

ion

on w

here

to s

end

or ta

ke y

our s

ubm

issi

on fo

rm.

Sub

mis

sion

For

m -

Dra

ft W

aita

ki C

omm

unit

y P

lan

2009

-19

Plea

se P

RIN

T us

ing

a B

LAC

K o

r DA

RK

BLU

E pe

n - t

his

help

s w

ith re

adin

g an

d ph

otoc

opyi

ng

Your

det

ails

Nam

e (M

r/Mrs

/Ms/

Dr (

Circ

le a

s ap

prop

riate

):....

......

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......

......

..N

ame

of O

rgan

isat

ion

(if a

pplic

able

).....

......

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.P

osta

l Add

ress

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...Te

leph

one:

(day

).....

......

......

......

.....

(eve

ning

).....

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. E

-mai

l: ...

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Pres

enta

tion

New

tour

ism

rate

(pg

3)

New

bus

ines

s ar

ea (p

g 3)

Wat

er c

harg

es (p

g 4)

UA

GC

/cam

ping

/con

sent

s/ru

bbis

h ch

arge

s (p

g 4)

Whe

re to

put

this

load

of o

ld ru

bbis

h (p

g 5)

A sl

imm

er w

aste

line

(pg5

)

Whe

n I’m

64

- com

mun

ity h

ousi

ng (p

g 7)

A dr

op to

drin

k? (p

g 6)

The

end

of th

e ro

ad (p

g 6)

Strid

ing

and

ridin

g (p

g 7)

Pleas

e cir

cle ‘y

es’ o

r ‘no

’ bes

ide th

e qu

estio

ns

waitaki express

Documents

rates bill

year plan

costs money

waitaki district councils

clean water

good roads

new zealand

cost of inflation