South Wairarapa District Council 2024-25 Enhanced Annual Plan Consultation

The 2024-25 Enhanced Annual Plan consultation is open between 5 April and 5 May 2024.
Since the Council’s current Long-Term Plan (LTP) was written in 2021, the economic environment we operate in has shifted significantly. The increase in rates forecast in the LTP for 2024-25 was 10.97%. However, the costs of services the Council provides to the community have increased dramatically since then.

As a result, for the 2024-25 year, Council is proposing a 15.3% increase total rates across the district.

To help Council determine what the next year looks like, we need your feedback on three specific consultation topics;

1. How much should we spend on operating and maintaining our water services?
2. How should we charge for water use?
3. How should we pay for the replacement of our assets?

More information on these proposals is available in the consultation document.

Question Title

* Contact information
It is a requirement that all submissions are made available to the public. As a result your name and feedback will be available to the public on the Council's website following consultation. However, contact details will remain private.

First & Last name *

Organisation (if applicable)

Address *

Address 2

City/Town *

Email Address *

Phone Number *

Question Title

* Hearings

Do you wish to speak to your submission at the public hearings scheduled for 15 & 16 May?

We will contact you following the consultation to organise a suitable time during the hearings.

Yes - in person

Yes - online

Question Title

* Is your home or place of residence either connected or able to be connected to water services?

Yes

Question Title

* FIRST DECISION: How much should we spend on operating and maintaining our water services?

Additional information can be found on page 8 of the consultation document.

Choose your preferred option.

Option 1: $5.61m - Maintain the current level of funding with an allowance for unavoidable extra costs. This is our budgeted option for the proposed total rates increase of 15.3%.

Option 2: $6.63m - Maintain the current level of funding with additional priorities to increase planning and resilience. This is an additional 4.1% added to the proposed total rates increase.

Option 3: $7.44m - The highest level of investment for planning and resilience. This is an additional 7.3% added to the proposed total rates increase.

Do you have any additional comments about the first decision?

Question Title

* SECOND DECISION: How should we charge for water use?

Additional information can be found on page 18 of the consultation document.

Choose your preferred option.

Option 1: Maintain the current allocated quota (350 m3) of water provided to all users, and the current user charges ($1.84 per m3) for litres of water used above this.

Option 2: Reduce the allocated quota to 250m3 of water provided to all users (household or commercial) and increase the excess water charges to $2.50 per m3 for water used above this. This is our preferred option.

Do you have any additional comments about the second decision?

Question Title

* THIRD DECISION: How should we pay for the replacement of our assets?

Additional information can be found on page 22 of the consultation document.

Choose your preferred option.

Option 1: Manage debt through cashflow analysis and only borrow what is needed as needed. Continue to fund an appropriate level of depreciation to fund future renewals. This is our budgeted option for the proposed total rates increase of 15.3%.

Option 2: Continue to charge rates to fund both a loan reserve (to pay for the existing assets) and depreciation (for future replacement of the assets). This is an additional 10% added to the proposed total rates increase.

Do you have any additional comments about the third decision?

Question Title

* RATING REVIEW FEEDBACK: Do you have any feedback that has not been raised previously?

Additional information can be found on page 27 of the consultation document.

South Wairarapa District Council 2024-25 Enhanced Annual Plan Consultation

Question Title

* Contact informationIt is a requirement that all submissions are made available to the public. As a result your name and feedback will be available to the public on the Council's website following consultation. However, contact details will remain private.

Question Title

* Hearings Do you wish to speak to your submission at the public hearings scheduled for 15 & 16 May?We will contact you following the consultation to organise a suitable time during the hearings.

Question Title

* Is your home or place of residence either connected or able to be connected to water services?

Question Title

* FIRST DECISION: How much should we spend on operating and maintaining our water services?Additional information can be found on page 8 of the consultation document.Choose your preferred option.

Question Title

* SECOND DECISION: How should we charge for water use?Additional information can be found on page 18 of the consultation document.Choose your preferred option.

Question Title

* THIRD DECISION: How should we pay for the replacement of our assets?Additional information can be found on page 22 of the consultation document.Choose your preferred option.

Question Title

* RATING REVIEW FEEDBACK: Do you have any feedback that has not been raised previously?Additional information can be found on page 27 of the consultation document.

Question Title

* FINAL FEEDBACK: Do you have any additional comments on other areas we’re focusing on?

* Contact information
It is a requirement that all submissions are made available to the public. As a result your name and feedback will be available to the public on the Council's website following consultation. However, contact details will remain private.

* Hearings

Do you wish to speak to your submission at the public hearings scheduled for 15 & 16 May?

We will contact you following the consultation to organise a suitable time during the hearings.

* FIRST DECISION: How much should we spend on operating and maintaining our water services?

Additional information can be found on page 8 of the consultation document.

Choose your preferred option.

* SECOND DECISION: How should we charge for water use?

Additional information can be found on page 18 of the consultation document.

Choose your preferred option.

* THIRD DECISION: How should we pay for the replacement of our assets?

Additional information can be found on page 22 of the consultation document.

Choose your preferred option.

* RATING REVIEW FEEDBACK: Do you have any feedback that has not been raised previously?

Additional information can be found on page 27 of the consultation document.