Waikato Regional Council will seek public feedback on a proposal to pick up responsibility for rating for public transport services in the Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki and Matamata-Piako districts.

Councillors have also voted to establish a contestable $200,000 per annum community transport fund. It will be funded through a flat per property charge of approximately $1 (through the existing uniform annual general charge).

The decisions were made at last Wednesday’s council meeting to set the annual plan budget for the 2022/23 financial year. The annual plan would see total rates revenue of $121.879 million and a proposed increase from current ratepayers of 7.8 per cent. It remains consistent with the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan, which signalled an increase of 7.9 per cent.

Waikato Regional Council Chair Russ Rimmington said: “We’re a council committed to connecting communities in more efficient and responsive ways, right across our region.

“But while we have an ambitious long-term vision, the challenges posed by climate change and the shifting needs of our communities right now mean we can’t afford to hold off on changes we believe can make a real difference in the short term.

“We’ve got volunteers doing amazing work running community transport services across our region for those that need extra support getting around, particularly in our more remote and rural areas. Like all of us, they’re feeling cost rises bite.”

Regional Connections Committee Chair Angela Strange said: “These services are vital to those that rely on them, but are fragile as they’re often solely reliant on fundraising and donations. Our new fund, first signalled through our 2021-2031 Long Term Plan, will give these volunteer services a more consistent and reliable way to continue doing what they do best.”

Meanwhile, if given the go-ahead following consultation, the rating for existing and new public transport services in Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki and Matamata-Piako districts would be collected by the regional council for the period from 1 January 2023. That’s to give the regional council time to negotiate for funding assistance from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, as well as to plan the rollout of the new services.

If that negotiation is unsuccessful, ratepayers will be asked if they would be happy to cover 100 per cent of the cost of new public bus services. It would amount to $333,500 of rates revenue collected through targeted rates – 80 per cent of that would come from the urban areas directly benefiting from the services, with 20 per cent to come from the rest of the districts based on an indirect benefit model.

Councillors heard that this would be an interim step while the regional council investigates picking up the rating responsibility for all public transport services and infrastructure region-wide.

Currently, Waikato Regional Council only rates Hamilton ratepayers for public transport services, but in the districts the relevant territorial authority is responsible for raising funds and passing these through to the regional council.

This arrangement means coordinating funding for public transport services is more complex than it could be, making it less straightforward to provide equitable and regionally consistent service levels.

Cr Denis Tegg, an advocate for better transport options for his Thames-Coromandel constituents, supported the proposal. “Communities in Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki and Matamata-Piako are crying out for better transport, and the pressing need to reduce emissions means we can’t afford to put off changes that can be fast-tracked.

“Our proposal doesn’t just make transport funding more efficient, it gives us the flexibility to deliver better services too.”

Waikato residents and ratepayers will be able to have their say on the proposal between 1 and 30 April. The consultation document will include an indication of what the new services might include.

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