Wairoa keen to invest in clean-up but wants its money spent on local waterways

Wairoa River is one of six "hotspots" which would be targeted by an environmental fund, created by a one-off rates increase. Photo/File

Wairoa is speaking out over a proposed rates increase, arguing that if it invests in a clean-up of Hawke's Bay waterways, its rivers and lakes have to benefit.

Under its 2017-2018 Annual Plan, the Hawke's Bay Regional Council proposes to include a "one-off" rates increase for a million-dollar "environmental kick start fund".

A rates increase of 9.88 per cent would be used to "accelerate action" on six environmental "hotspots" including Lake Tutira, Ahuriri Estuary, and two Wairoa waterways - Whakaki Lake and Wairoa River.

Last week the Wairoa District Council submitted on the proposal, stating while any increase in rates "will have an impact on the community of Wairoa", action needed to be taken to address the quality of its waterways.

Under the proposed increase, households in Wairoa could expect an additional yearly cost of around $15 - although actual costs would vary between households depending on value and location.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said he did not think the community would mind this extra cost, but council wanted to ensure residents' money went back into their waterways.

"This [rates increase] is fine but it worries me that we've missed out on so much previously, and I really want to hope that Wairoa will gain from this in a big way," he said.

"[Residents] don't want to pay this and then find out it's all getting spent down in the rest of Hawke's Bay and not Wairoa. We've got to make sure that we get looked after in Wairoa as much as the rest of Hawke's Bay."

In a submission on the plan, the council stated there needed to be "considerably greater investment" in the district as it held the largest volume of surface freshwater within the region.

If there were to be an organised rollout of work on the hotspots noted in the regional council's consultation document, the council said it hoped its district would be prioritised.

"Given that the district has the largest volume of surface freshwater in the entire Hawke's Bay region, more work should be done within the district," the submission stated.

Yesterday a regional council spokeswoman said there had been no priority list developed for the hotspots prior to the plan being adopted next month.

When the fund was proposed earlier this year, Wairoa regional councillor Fenton Wilson voted against the proposed 9.88 per cent rates increase, as he said when he floated the idea to people in Wairoa, they did not "want a bar of it".

He could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Submissions for the annual plan closed on Friday.