Annual Plan 2016/17 adopted

The Northland Regional Council's 'business as usual' Annual Plan 2016/17 has been formally adopted.

Council chairman Bill Shepherd says the plan – passed by full council at a meeting in Whangarei yesterday – keeps an overall rates increase to the 2.34 percent agreed last year.

That will cost an average of just $4.27 per rateable property over the full 12 months from July 01; just over eight cents a week.

Councillor Shepherd says the council had received 83 submissions on the Annual Plan; the first produced since Local Government Act amendments changes which mean it now only focusses on any changes from the council's Long Term Plan.

As a result of the consultation, councillors had decided to proceed with all 18 proposals put forward earlier this year, covering a range of environmental, hazard management, infrastructural and other initiatives.

They also decided to invest roughly $50,000 savings from lower interest rates into maintenance for the Awanui flood scheme, rather than reducing the rate itself. Similarly, given the level of support for a proposal to allocate $5000 to help community groups manage mangroves, councillors had decided to significantly boost the figure to $50,000.

Councillors had also agreed to make a $25,000 contribution to the newly-launched Northland Transportation Alliance. The first of its kind in New Zealand, the alliance will see all four Northland councils and the NZ Transport Agency forming a joint management agency to handle all of the region's roads.

"Another $4000 will be spent to help subsidise the recycling of silage wrap, to allow a recycling programme to continue in Northland."

Councillor Shepherd says while the plan is very much 'business as usual' councillors were grateful for those who had taken the opportunity to have their say on it.

He says the newly-adopted plan will be posted on the council’s website next month