Rates increase as South Taranaki District Council adopts Long Term Plan for 2018-2028

Patea's Paepae in the Park will receive funding of $7500 a year for the next three years from South Taranaki District Council.

South Taranaki ratepayers are facing a projected annual rate increase of 3.08 per cent every year for the next 10 years.

The figures are included in the South Taranaki District Council's Long Term Plan for 2018-2028, adopted by the council on Wednesday, June 27. It will see most ratepayers receive a rates increase of between 1.8 per cent and 3.1 per cent for the 2018/19 year.

Mayor Ross Dunlop said councillors wanted to balance progress and affordability in their vision to make South Taranaki "the most liveable district in New Zealand".

"With a projected average rate increase of 3.08 per cent per annum over the next 10 years, we believe our Long Term Plan strikes the right balance between progress, providing the services and facilities our communities expect and affordability," Dunlop said.

The council had upgraded its water infrastructure and key community facilities over the past 10 years and could now work on projects to achieve its vision.

"We have identified a number of priorities to work towards achieving this aspirational vision, ranging from building a new community facility in Manaia, developing a district digital strategy, expanding our district pathways programme, building a new library, culture, arts and information centre in Hawera, to investigating an industrial park development.

"Since our last Long Term Plan three years ago, we have progressed the Hawera Town Centre redevelopment, district pathways programme and Opunake Beach masterplan. Our focus for the next 10 years is to complete these key projects, maintain our current assets and core services and improve our wastewater infrastructure.

"At the same time the council is conscious of the need to keep rates affordable, so we are funding many of our key projects with existing reserves and earnings from the council's long term investment fund, rather than through rates."

The plan includes community funding and grants for Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust ($60,000), Hawera Cinema Trust ($40,000), Taranaki Arts Festival Trust ($35,000), Egmont A and P Association ($20,000), STAGE Inc - Lysaght Watt Gallery ($15,000), Everybody's Theatre ($10,000), South Taranaki Neighbourhood Support Group ($10,000), Paepae in the Park ($7500), Citizens Advice Bureau ($6960), Taranaki Garden Trust ($6000), Taranaki Enviroschools ($5000). The grants are annual funding for three years.