Annual Plan adopted
29 Jun 2022, 11:23 AM
The increased cost of a new council maritime vessel and moves to boost and improve the Whangārei CityLink public transport service are among key proposals to be funded via the Northland Regional Council’s 2022/23 Annual Plan.
Chair Penny Smart says a month-long consultation on the plan ran until Friday 29 April. The council had deliberated on the proposed changes and public feedback was received on 24 May.
The Annual Plan - which was formally adopted by council today - identifies funding variations for council activities planned in its Long Term Plan 2021-31, highlighting the impact on council’s budget and regional rates.
The Annual Plan adds an extra $1.7 million in capital expenditure to replace council’s maritime vessel ‘Waikare’, to be funded by lending from the Local Government Funding Agency and repaid from the council services rate over 15 years.
The plan also adds approximately $188,000 of additional operational expenditure to increase and improve the Whangārei CityLink public transport service.
“The proposed changes increase the total region-wide rate take in 2022/23 from the 13.79% approved in the LTP 2021-31, to 13.89% (0.1% difference).”
Chair Smart says the Whangārei Transport rate increases by an extra $4.80 (approximately) per Whangārei ratepayer, for a year-on-year average increase of just over approximately $65 for Whangārei ratepayers.
“For Kaipara and Far North ratepayers, the 2022/23 annual average increase remains at $48 per rating unit.”