Stuff
Funding cuts and rates increases were the top concerns of Tasman ratepayers at the hearing of the draft annual plan.
Topping the list of concerns of Tasman ratepayers and organisations are rate increases and council funding cuts, councillors heard at the hearing for the council’s draft annual plan.
Several private individuals came forward to decry the 9.06% increase in rates at the hearing. Randolph Waller said he was “astonished” and “taken aback” when he read of the proposed rates increase.
“Have the council really considered the hardship within the community? … It just really concerns me that, you know, that’s going to affect a lot of people, probably a lot of people who cannot afford to pay more.”
Golden Bay Federated Farmers president Cherrie Chubb said the biggest concern for its members was the cost of rates, as the profitability of farming at the moment was “really under a squeeze”.
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Some dairy farms faced an increase of up to 14% in rates, which was “sharp” and “unpalatable”.
Volunteer Nelson’s Gordon Oldfield went to speak about the planned cut in funding for the FOUND directory, a directory of not for profit organisations.
Oldfield said the group found out its funding was going to be cut through the media, which came as a surprise.
Regional Conservation manager for Forest and Bird for the top of the South Island Scott Burnett said they were opposed to the proposal to reduce river management funding and slow work on river management plans.
“We feel this was particularly important given the increasing frequency of intense rainfall events and the associated flooding, erosion, sedimentation. We also oppose the slowing the programme to reduce stormwater infiltration of the wastewater network.”
Bike Hub Nelson coordinator Matt Lawrey asked the council for a “very small investment” of $10,500 plus GST to help fund the coordinators role and to fund supplies and parts for its workshop.
The group was also keen to explore the possibility of a satellite operation at the Motueka Recreation Centre where people could access the bikes and drop them off, the submission said.
Ross Loveridge, from the Motueka Community Swimming Pool Committee, said with respect to the 2023/2024 annual plan, the committee “understand why the funding has been pulled, because [the pool] is not going to be built next year”.
“But that doesn’t mean the committee or the community is at all happy.”
Loveridge said it took eight months from the time the council approved the funding for the pool feasibility study to the council staff “getting on and doing it”.
The feasibility study was completed five months ago, and it still hadn’t been presented to council, he said.
People in Motueka were “feeling in the dark” about the project, and were “nervous and negative”.
The hearing continues on Wednesday.