Mayor John Leggett and Councillors discussed and considered a wide variety of agenda items at yesterday’s Long Term Plan Budget meeting.

Staff were complimented by the Mayor for the high quality work that had gone into the reports and presentations. He reminded councillors that ‘good decisions come from good information’.

“This year’s rates rise will be higher than what we are used to, through a combination of inflation, increased infrastructure expenditure due to Marlborough’s growth, Covid recovery work and new Government regulations, primarily on freshwater monitoring and drinking water standards.”

He noted that most councils around the country are facing large rates increases.

“Environment Canterbury is considering a rates increase of 24.5%. Fortunately, we are nowhere near that level - our proposed rates increase, which will go out for public consultation, will be under 6%. Most councils are under the same or greater pressure than us.”

“Although we will need to increase our borrowing our overall debt will be the equivalent of a $50,000 loan on a million dollar house – in other words it’s manageable for us to take on more debt. It also spreads the cost of our increased infrastructure investment across the generations and provides intergenerational equity, so that not all the costs fall on today’s ratepayers.”

Some of the key items the Council considered in adopting the ten year budgets were:

• The water, sewerage and stormwater capital programme
• Increased roads and footpaths budgets
• The capital expenditure schedule, reserve balances and the infrastructure upgrade reserve
• A revised development contributions policy
• A new Covid-19 Rates Relief Reserve, which will run for at least three years and significantly reduce the impact of general rates rises.

A number of requests for funding ‘levels of service’ increases were supported by the Councillors, including:

· A proposal to increase parking charges in Blenheim and Picton by 50%, but keep the first hour’s park free (charges had not increased since 2014)

· Funding to run and fit out the Marlborough Events Centre (formerly the Marlborough Convention Centre)

· Various economic development and regional events items, including setting up a Screen Marlborough office and developing a technology sector strategy

· Extended funding for the Small Townships Programme through to 2031

· New CCTV and WiFi funding

· Funding the building of 12 new senior housing units in George Street

· Increased funding for sport and recreation facilities, community facilities and earthquake strengthening the Renwick Museum

· Funding to process the Pelorus Sound/Te Hoiere multi-beam survey data

· Funding the increased monitoring and reporting required under the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management

· Funding for the Town Branch/Snowdens Basin Drain stormwater upgrade

· New weighbridges for waste management in Blenheim.

The LTP 2021-2031 Consultation Document will be adopted by the Council for consultation on Thursday 1 April. Public submissions will be open from 1 April until 6 May. For those wishing to speak to their submission, hearings in front of Councillors will take place from 1 to 3 June.

Council will make its final deliberations on public submissions on 8 June and adopt the Long Term Plan 2021-2031 on 24 June. New rates will become effective on 1 July.

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