Raglan residents headed over to Ngaruawahia on Tuesday to presents their submissions on the Long Term Plan to the Waikato District Council. First up was Rodger Gallagher who presented the Community Board’s submission, then his own one and finally a third for the Raglan Arts Council. The Community Board asked for water rates to be frozen and the general rate increase rolled back to zero. It also asked for the water meter programme be deferred so the cash could be released on higher priority projects. In his personal submission, Rodger gave data indicating that the population forecast used for Raglan in the LTP was wrong and that the assumptions on the reason for needing an economic development unit were suspect.
Later John Lawson gave two presentations. One for Whaingaroa Environmental Defence and then his own one. John pointed out that the Route 23 bus problems were still unsolved and that money set aside in the old annual plan for a Whale Bay footpath/ walkway had now disappeared from the plan.
WDC are still having major computer problems, and Bob MacLeod’s presentation had not made it though the WDC firewall. He will have to go back again today Wednesday to give his Ratepayer’s presentation. Hope WDC can get it working for him then.
Analysis of the retruns for the ‘tick box’ form that the Council sent out shows that 94% of the people sending in a submission support WDC on being affordable and on maintaining what we have and just over half going on to vote against improving the standard.
Nearly two-thirds of people opposed WDC putting money towards economic development. On the question of a targeted arte for community boards 54% voted against introducing this type of rate.
There was strong support for the rates remission proposal with 68% saying they would support this.
The list of submitters includes a large number of Raglan Whaingaroa people.