Rates increase as council adopts long-term plan

Tararua District Council has adopted its long term plan.

Property rates will be increased as part of the long-term plan adopted by Tararua District
Council.

Councillors agreed to adopt the plan and the financial strategy in a meeting last week.

Group corporate manager Raj Suppiah told the meeting that this year's long-term plan was very different from previous ones.

He said previous plans talked about maintaining the population and the ageing population, whereas this year's talked about growth.

"Along with (that growth) comes challenges," he said.

There had been much discussion in the community over the plan and why the rates increase was needed.

Finance manager Cameron McKay said the financial strategy is the heart of a long-term plan.

"It brings together challenges and opportunities. It also provides how we're ... going to do this and where we want to be in 10 years' time."

He said around $200 million was going to be spent on capital investment over the next 10 years and a big chunk of that would be funded by debt.

"We've got growth to plan for, therefore the limits that we had for rates increases were required to be adjusted."

The total rates increase for the year is 9.44 per cent. This is less than the 9.82 per cent consulted with the community.

The increases are effective from July 1.