Building a place where you can live and digging a grave to lie in when you die is getting more expensive in the Kaipara district.

The four commissioners governing the district this week approved increases in building and planning fees to be included in the Kaipara District Council's draft annual plan for 2014-15. Cemetery fee increases were also approved for inclusion in the draft plan. Council staff recommended the price rises to cover present costs. During a council meeting at the Otamatea Marae at Batley, KDC operations manager John Burt reported the council had a potential shortfall in fees for building planning and he recommended increasing charges to be included in the annual planning process so the community could make submissions on them. A proposed $10 increase to $695 including inspections, district plan review/PIM and GST, was approved for building work with a value up to $5000.

For building work valued at $50,001-$100,000 a proposed fee increase from the current charge of $1535 to $2145 was approved. Other increases were: $100,001-$250,000, up from $1855 to $2725; $250,001-$500,000, $2600 to $3635; $500,001-$900,000, $3000 to $4085.

Proposed subdivision charges approved included increasing the current $1855 fee for 1 and 2 lots to $2000, with fees for 3-5 lots rising from $3845 to $4500; 6-10 lots, $6185 to $7000; 11-16 lots, $8765 to $9500; 16-20 lots, $11,340 to $12,000; 21+ lots, $12,900 to $14,500.

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The KDC operates cemeteries at Mt Wesley, Mt Wesley RSA, Redhill and Arapohue. It maintains cemeteries at Tokatoka, Old Mt Wesley, Maungaturoto RSA and Tara Rd at Mangawhai.

Council community spaces manager Stephen Soole recommended raising fees for inclusion in the 2014-15 draft plan. Proposed grave-digging fee increases of $70 to $630 for a single-depth interment and $71.50 to $786.50 for an extra/double depth burial were approved. Proposed oversize coffin and breaking concrete fees both increased $15.50 to $170.50, additional weekend fees rose $26 to $286, and additional fees for urgent burials within 32 hours or for burials on public holidays increased $37 to $407.