News from John Lawson, 51 Cliff St, Raglan 07 825 7866 email johnragla@gmail.com, secretary of Whaingaroa Environmental Defence Inc.
WDC’s Long Term Plan or LTP (what they plan to spend money on to 2034) is open for consultation until 11 May. Whaingaroa Environmental Defence (WED) is getting together from 7pm on Wed 30 April in the garden bar at the back of the Raglan Harbour View pub to talk about it and whether WED should make a submission. What do you think? Do you plan to come? – if lots are coming we’ll find a larger venue and let you know.
The notes below cover some of the things in over 1000 pages of plans. On 11 April I asked WDC about their plans to spend $44.2m in Raglan, on projects such as $15m for a Wainui Rd Roundabout. I asked if it’s intended $44.2m will be spent on these over the next 9 years, or if some/all depend on Waka Kotahi and/or Development Contributions. What part of this spending is intended to come from ratepayers and is it an option for us to say we don’t want some, or all of it spent, or to be spent on other things, either for transport, or other spending? I’ll report on 30 April if I’ve had a reply by then.
Among the Raglan plans to 2034 are spending $503,453 on the Library, $2.8m Library Extension, $307,029 Museum, $200,725 Old School, $58,691 3 Bow St, $457,816 Walking & Cycling, $34,029 Walkways Wainui Reserve, $596,486 Xtreme, $2,7m Upgrade stormwater network, $17.8m Wainui Rd single lane bridge, $6.5m Lorenzen Bay Rd/Main Rd roundabout, $500,000 Te Hutewai Rd Roundabout, $2m Southwestern Corridor Study (Raglan bypass).
WDC plans to raise debt to $347m in 2025/26, $151m in 2026/27 and up to $260m in 2033/34.
In the year starting in July rates will rise 4.25% and in the following 7 years will rise 1.5% to 4.5%.
The 9 year plan includes a $4.2bn spend on water and wastewater, $787.1m on roading, $160.3m on stormwater, and $1.8bn on all other services.
$167.5m of growth related projects are funded partly by developers contributions. 24% of growth projects will be funded by loans.
LTP questions
WDC asks these few questions, but there are many other issues –
- Which option do you prefer? Option 1 (our preferred option) – A joint HCC and WDC water services CCO. This joint CCO would own our water and wastewater assets and be responsible for delivering those services. The joint CCO would also provide stormwater services under contract to both councils, and possibly to other councils. or Option 2 – Status quo, which would see a contractual arrangement between WDC and a waters service provider to deliver our water services. There is no option to run water as a WDC department.
- Option 1 (our preferred option) – Status quo with no additional funded maintenance on our roading network without the subsidy from NZTA in 2025/26 and 2026/27. or Option 2 – Increase maintenance and level of service on our roading network using money we collect from rates. Works would include additional line marking, pothole repairs, sign maintenance and replacements, street lighting repairs and vegetation control, spraying and clearance. This option would result in an increase to the general rate.
- Anyone can make a submission on the review of the draft Development Contributions Policy
Waste Minimisation and Management Plan
We encourage you to let us know your views if you live in one of the affected areas – new monthly recycling drop off for Te Ākau $85 pa
- Does our new vision resonate with you?
- Are there any other waste categories that you think should be part of Council core services?
- If Council provided an additional service of a kerbside food scrap collection for urban households that could take food scraps, leftovers, meat, fats etc, would you use it?
- If you would only use a food scraps collection rarely or never, what would be the reason/s?
- To help reduce organic waste are you interested in: Council provided kerbside food scraps collection Access to community compost hubs Compost education sessions Help to reduce food waste
- How important are these opportunities to you? Enable greater kaitiakitanga approaches to waste minimisation Do more rural farm waste education and projects Keep organic material out of landfill Divert construction and demolition waste Use waste as a resource
- Did we miss any opportunities important to you?
- Do you think this plan is enough to achieve waste minimisation in our district over the next 6 years? Tell us why Do you have ideas to make it more impactful?
- How important is waste minimisation to you and your whaanau?
- Is there any other feedback you would like to share?
Charges
Anyone can make a submission about the proposed 2025-2027 Fees and Charges – no change but Domestic Food Business levy $57.50 to $86.25, staff charge-out rates all up $5, except Building Quality and Consents eg CEO $482 to $487 to $492/hr, Memorial Permit $10 to $55, Soundsplash events (2,000+)charges $1000 a day + 1.5% of any ticket sales – was $1000 a day, Building control Project information memoranda $191 to $750, $382 to $925, consents $190 to $225, plumbing $233 to $430, garages $428 to $605, building $484 to $795 residential, $1,610 commercial, over $1m still $120 for every $100,000, LIM $350 to $360, food registration $400 to $455, pokies $1,200, alcohol, parking no change, road naming $950 to $1,430.
27 other LTP documents
Currently we are unable to calculate directly how our activity contributes to the district carbon emissions as it is not accurately reported on. . . . Raglan Holiday Park – Papahua contributed to 1.6% of our emissions through the LPG . . . We are actively engaged in discussions to curtail the cattle population and explore the possibility of afforesting the grazing land. . . . There needs to be bought in from within the facilities team and the climate change group to facilitate this work. This issue of reducing stock densities on the Wainui farm has been discussed at length within the climate change group. In principle there is support for the removal of stock from council administered land. This will make a more meaningful impact on methane emissions reduction, and it must be done and staged carefully on all council land, not just Wainui reserve. Rivercare and our ecologist have provided proposals to Open Spaces management to replace stock on Council land with plantings. For example, Ohinewai project, Taupiricemetery, Hakarimata road. Where the land needs to be left for future use (e.g. currently unused cemetery land) the proposal was to have RiverCare cut and carry grass/silage. These proposals add value to the Wainui proposal and could help reduce emissions from stock across the whole district and create revenue for future plantings.
15 Earthquake prone assets – Raglan Plunket Rooms. . . Holiday Park Papahua – Ablution Block/ Cookhouse
if growth continues to rapidly increase, we will need to begin investigating the addition of an Aquatic Facilitywithin the central portion of our district and Raglan. . . As discussed in an earlier section the results of our public consultation outlined the need to consider pool facilities in Raglan and Te Kauwhata, these will be investigated further through the CFS action plans.
A significant capital works programme is planned for Raglan, following the adoption of a new catchment management plan, and this will be a strategic opportunity for Council to walk the talk for urban stormwater design, both reducing stormwater impacts in Raglan and raising the bar for developers in the district.
Waste – There is capacity . . . in Raglan to open longer hours. Currently there is no community demand for this service.
Should WED say anything about these proposals and, if so, what? What else have you spotted?
Hope to see you 7pm on Wednesday
Thanks John