‘We took decisive action’: Whanganui mayor pleased to land on 11.2% rates rise

Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe says his council has kept its rates rise lower while committing to strong investment in infrastructure. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui district rates will rise an average 11.2% for the year ahead – just over half a percentage point more than the council aimed for in its draft Long-Term Plan.

The council has settled on the provisional increase after making decisions on the 10-year plan.

Mayor Andrew Tripe said he was pleased the increase was lower than the 16% national average.

“When we crunched the numbers last year, we could see Whanganui District Council’s average rates increase for the 2024-25 year was heading for 17%, which we thought was too high for our community.

“We took decisive action, formulating a six-point plan to reduce costs – and our provisional average rates rise of 11.2% shows the plan has worked.”

The rise is provisional until the council formally adopts the Long-Term Plan (LTP) and rates resolution for 2024-25 on July 16, taking into account property and valuation growth through to June 30.

The rates increase is average and varies from one property to the next, depending on its type, size, valuation and the services provided to it.

Tripe said rates had gone up a lot more because inflation had increased councils’ costs.

“As just one example, the cost per kilometre for road resealing has more than doubled over the past six years.”

The community had strong opinions for and against various proposals in the LTP and the outcome would not please everyone, he said.

“Elected representatives worked hard to listen to the community and this can be seen where we adjusted our positions or found new options to suit the community’s needs.

“We take community feedback very seriously but, in some cases, there are other important factors to take into account when making decisions.”

In response to public submissions, some projects have been canned, including the council-led development of a hotel and car park, and a raised crossing to the Pākaitore historic reserve.

Service cuts have been made to reduce the immediate rates rise in year 1.

Tripe said the council had kept the rise lower while committing to strong investment in core infrastructure, with about 80% of its spending over 10 years going on stormwater, wastewater, drinking water and roads.

“This means we will be focusing on doing the basics well so we can keep our pipes and treatment plant in good condition and maintain roads and footpaths as our community asked, as well as starting the business case to replace the Dublin St Bridge.

“Whanganui is in great heart and we’re investing in community-building projects to make this corner of the world an even better place to live.

“Because many households are still experiencing cost pressures, we’ve scheduled our community-building projects to start in later years when the economic situation is expected to have improved. This means these projects will have no impact on this year’s rates.”

Community-building projects include the Wanganui Surf Lifeguard Service’s new operations centre and tower, improvements to the Splash Centre, the North Mole rejuvenation and new amenities, replacing the running track and better lighting and drainage at Cooks Gardens, and playground replacements across the district.

Funding had also been put toward repairs and improvements at marae from 2027-28 because marae played a crucial role in civil defence and emergency responses, Tripe said.

Community contract funding has also been increased so more organisations can partner with the council to provide services that improve community health, safety and wellbeing.

“This Long-Term Plan won’t please everyone but we’re confident it strikes a good balance between keeping rates as affordable as possible for residents and in later years investing in our ambitious and energised district so Whanganui is well-positioned for the future,” Tripe said.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.