Northland Regional Council rates to rise for all if ratepayers fund Whangārei's Oruku conference centre

And artist's impression of the planned Oruku Landing development at Whangārei's Town Basin

Northland Regional Council (NRC) ratepayers look set to be paying for the controversial $136 million Oruku Landing conference and events centre in Whangārei.

Far North and Kaipara NRC ratepayers will be joining their counterparts in Whangārei in paying towards the proposed 1,000-person centre and supporting infrastructure on Whangārei's Town Basin if it proceeds.

The centre, which on October 18 Whangārei District Council (WDC) said would cost $123m, was to be funded by $6m from NRC ratepayers, $57m from WDC ratepayers and $60m from the Government.

WDC will decide on November 26 whether to proceed with the project, ahead of the November 30 Government funding uptake deadline.

WDC has this week said a further $13 million must now be found to pay for the centre if it proceeds, in the wake of costs escalating to $136 million.

NRC chief executive Malcolm Nicolson has yet to comment on whether his council would look to increase its $6 million towards the centre in light of this week's increase.

But he said there would be a 1.4 per cent NRC rates rise to cover his council's existing $6 million grant towards the centre.

NRC Oruku Landing conference and events centre rates would be paid by ratepayers across the North from 2023 – for about 11 years, Nicolson said.

He said NRC would be targeting its rates so that those closer to the centre paid more. Twenty per cent of the regional council rates would come from Far North and Kaipara ratepayers while Whangārei district ratepayers would pay 80 per cent.

That means NRC ratepayers from Cape Reinga to Mangawhai will all be paying towards the centre.

Nicolson said the NRC grant had already been signed off for the council's latest 2021-2031 Long Term Plan.

The centre has already seen more than 1,700 submissions flood into WDC during a month's public consultation on the new centre.

Public submissions can be made via WDC's website until November 18. The submission form at https://www.wdc.govt.nz/Whats-new/Have-your-say/Oruku-Landing-2021/Oruku-online-form includes the option for submitters to say whether they want the conference and events centre canned or continued with.

The conference and events centre would be part of a bigger $250 million Oruku Landing hotel, apartment and shopping development on Whangārei's Town Basin by private developer Northland Development Corporation.

Three public meetings about the centre are being held this week. About 50 people went to the first meeting, at Ruakākā Recreation Centre on Monday night.

The second was at Whangārei's Forum North Exhibition Hall last night and the third at Hikurangi War Memorial Hall tomorrow from 6.30pm-8.30pm.