Western Bay of Plenty District Council is to begin hearings to consider submissions from individuals and organisations on its draft 2010/11 Annual Plan.
The council received 174 submissions to the plan following a one-month notification period that closed April 30 and has revealed the majority relate to proposals to increase an existing town centre development rate in Katikati, from a current $10 per property to $50 per property per annum and the introduction of town centre development rates ($10 per property per annum) in Waihi Beach, Omokoroa and Te Puke.
Strategic planning manager for the Western Bay Council Gill Payne said that the council received 79 individual written submissions commenting directly on the proposal to increase the Katikati town centre development rates.
"Of these, 53 were from addresses in the Katikati ward," she said. "One of these submitters is expected to deliver a petition to council at the hearings."
She said that 36 written submissions were received on the Omokoroa town centre development rate proposal, "of which 30 were from addresses outside the Omokoroa community board area".
Park Rd resident Maurice Fletcher has collected 152 signatures against the proposed increase to the existing town centre development rate in Katikati.
He believes this is the wrong time to increase a rate while the community is faced with recession.
"I'm a pensioner who cannot afford an extra $50 per year to fund a pie-in-the-sky scheme."
Highfield Drive resident Gwyther Thompson said she'd signed the petition because she was objecting 100 per cent to the town centre development and the increase in a rate for it.
"It would not affect me financially but I imagine for many it would be a hardship - we do not need a new library when we already have an adequate one."
However, long-time Katikati resident George Van Dyke is in support of local councillor Sam Dunlop's proposed $50 charge to get the town centre project kickstarted once and for all.
"My thoughts were initially different but I think here is Sam - saying that the bypass is realistically not going to happen for another umpteen years - and we've got to decide whether or not we're going to pick up on this [proposal]. If we don't do anything - we're going to miss out."
The council meets on June 8 to make final decisions on issues resulting from the submission process and expects to formally adopt the plan on June 24.
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