The Kaipara District Council has sided with ratepayers in opposing a separate levy to fund the maintenance of the Kaihu River in Dargaville. In its 2007/08 draft annual plan, the Northland Regional Council has proposed that the Dargaville stormwater rates be increased from the current $5625 to $22,500 - raising thetotal funding for Kaihu River Management Plan from $57,915 to $138,038. That involves 22,807 hectares of rateable land at a proposed rate of $2 per hectare. The Kaipara District Council said in its submission to the Northland Regional Council's annual plan that it wasn't clear how the significant increase could be justified, especially as some residents would be paying twice for the same service. District council chief executive Jack McKerchar said stormwater ratepayers paid for their own flood protection at a rate of 56 cents per dollar of land value, with the owner of a low-to-medium priced home paying $225 a year. The regional council said the increased risk of flooding in Dargaville had been cited as the main reason for not confining flood flows between stopbanks downstream from Mamaranui to Dargaville-Mangawhare and for not opening up the Rotu Bottleneck. The interim plan provides for channel restoration and maintenance in the lower four kilometres of the Kaihu River channel. That work will complement stopbanks that have been built around Dargaville and are planned for Mangawhare. Mr McKerchar said work carried out on the Kaihu River without the council's involvement had increased the risk of flooding to parts of the Dargaville stormwater drainage area. Residents have condemned the additional rate in their submissions to the Northland Regional Council committee which met in Dargaville yesterday.
