There’s only one week left for locals to have their say on Hutt City Council’s draft plan for the next ten years. Submissions on the Long Term Plan 2018-2028 consultation document close next Thursday, 3 May at 5pm.

Copies of the consultation document ‘Our city, our community, our future’, can be picked up from local libraries and community hubs, or viewed on Hutt City Council’s website at www.huttcity.govt.nz/longtermplan.

Lower Hutt Mayor Ray Wallace encouraged the community to have their say.

“It’s your chance to tell us what we should spend our money on for the next ten years and we need to hear from you. We take it all into account when making our final decision.”

“The online submission form only takes a few minutes to complete and people can have their say on as much or as little as they want. I really encourage people to have their say – it’s our city, our community, and our future at stake.”

The community is welcome to submit on any topic at all, but there are some key proposals that Council is asking for feedback on. These are:

• Continuing Council’s rejuvenation strategy – this work includes sportsvilles in Petone and Wainuiomata and community hubs in Naenae and Wainuiomata. This is planned from 2018 to 2033 at a total cost of approximately $27 million.

• Suspending Council’s development charges and rates remissions policy – this policy incentivises certain types of development across the city by remitting consent fees and Development and Financial Contribution fees, as well as rates remissions for five years for developments in certain locations.

• Introducing a rates postponement scheme for residential ratepayers aged 65 and over – this scheme would provide ratepayers aged 65 years and over, the choice to postpone the payment of rates on their principal freehold (or almost freehold) residential property, subject to qualifying conditions and criteria. There would be no impact on rates.

• Introducing rates remissions for community, sporting and other organisations – this would provide a 100% remission of the general rate levied on community, sporting and recreational organisations. This would increase the total cost of rates remissions by $154,000, and if rates funded, this would cost an average residential ratepayer and additional $2.86 per annum or if debt funded, an additional $0.08 per year.

The overall increase in rates income for 2018-19 is proposed to be 2.5%. This is made up of an average rates increase of 1.5% for existing ratepayers and the remaining 1% covered by growth.

ENDS

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