From the Mayor: Sandra Hazlehurst talks numbers and progress ahead of annual report adoption

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, Photo / Connull Lang

OPINION

Our annual report for the 2023/24 year will be submitted to the council for adoption later this month. It will outline the work the council has undertaken over the past year.

It’s been a year marked by significant challenges but also meaningful progress as we have focused on the Hastings district’s recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle, along with other core businesses centred on infrastructure maintenance and renewal.

Council capital spending is divided into three key areas: transportation, parks and community, and three waters - drinking, waste, and stormwater.

Of these capital costs, roading accounts for the largest share of our expenditure, more than half of which is offset by subsidies and grants, with 15% funded by ratepayers.

Tending to our three waters infrastructure does not attract the same level of subsidy support, being 64% funded by rates.

A breakdown of Hastings District Council's plan for costs and spending.

All of this work is essential to ensure these important services are delivered effectively and efficiently to residents.

While we are focused on this core business, we are still planning for and enabling business growth in the district to support our local economy.

The rate and extent of that growth can be seen in the uptake of land in our industrial zones. As an example, in 2011 we rezoned 78.4ha of land in the Irongate area as industrial, later expanded to 118ha.

When first zoned, it was considered enough capacity for about 30 years, but the rate of growth has been such that today, only 40ha of that land remains available.

The demand for this land demonstrates the confidence businesses have in our district and region. They range from significant primary producers such as Sunfruit Orchards and Rockit Global Ltd to construction industry businesses such as Tumu Timbers and Latteys Industries Ltd, transportation companies such as Stephenson Transport Ltd, and most recently, a new Mainfreight distribution hub.

This is in addition to the activity in our Omahū and Whakatū industrial areas and within Hastings city and Havelock North, with recent developments including St Pierre’s sushi drive-through and Popeyes food outlets establishing themselves in Stortford Lodge.

In the face of the costs of recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle, the council will remain focused on balancing its work programme to deliver its services with affordability for ratepayers - working towards a positive future. Despite the devastation, Heretaunga Hastings’ outlook is bright.