NRC may double rates... yet give themselves a pay rise

Northland Regional Council members yesterday gave themselves a pay rise - and at the same time proposed doubling regional rates.
At a Northland Regional Council meeting in Whangarei, without debate, they approved a four percent pay rise for committee chairmen. Later in the same meeting, they approved public release of the draft annual plan, which proposes lifting the average rates bill from $71 to $135.
Although exact rates figures will not be calculated until the end of June, the NRC indicates that in the 2005-2006 year it will need to collect more than $10million - up from about $5million last year - from the owners of almost 75,000 Northland properties.
NRC chairman Mark Farnsworth has said that of the extra $5million, $3.8million will be for a new multipurpose events centre proposed for Whangarei's Okara Park. He has stressed that the regional stadium is still just a proposal, and will proceed only if it receives community support through the annual plan public consultation process.
Stadium details were unveiled in March. It would seat 20,000, be available for rugby union, rugby league and soccer matches to international level, include a 25-metre lap pool, conference facilities and other features.
An NRC survey of 1000 Northlanders found 56 percent supported the proposal.
But the issue is likely to dominate annual plan consultations with many elderly opposing the stadium because of cost.
If the public does approve the stadium, NRC ratepayers will eventually fund $23.6million over 10 years, with Whangarei commercial ratepayers paying $96 a year, other ratepayers within 50km of the stadium paying $48 a year, and Northland ratepayers more than 50km from the stadium paying $24 a year.
Mr Farnsworth said the council's draft annual plan was "gutsy". It also includes a proposed $560,000 Awanui River flood management scheme - also subject to public consultation - and calls for public submissions on investment options for the $23million raised from the sale of the Northland Port Corporation.
In his draft statement to be printed in the annual plan, Mr Farnsworth said the NRC believed the port sale money should be "invested wisely".
The stadium would not be owned by the council, but by a trust, and would not generate any direct income for the council.
The NRC draft annual plan will be available for public consultation throughout May.
Of the pay rise, Mr Farnsworth said councillors had taken the advice of the Remuneration Authority - formerly the Higher Salaries Commission - and approved the increase.
The pay of chairmen of the committees of regional land transport (Bill Rossiter), planning and policy (Peter Jensen), hearings (Lorraine Hill) and regional development (Ian Walker) would now be $47,062, up four percent from $45,315.
The pay of the commercial committee chairman (Stan Semenoff) and landcare committee chairman (Craig Brown) will be $41,900, up four percent from $40,351.
Mr Farnsworth is paid $87,284 and has use of a council car, while Jim Peters, the only councillor with no committee chairing responsibilities, is paid $26,900.