Discussion on Regional and District Councils Long Term Plans by John Lawson.
Whaingaroa Environmental Defence Incorporated Registered no.1912150
from Secretary: John Lawson, 51 Cliff St, Raglan 07 825 7866 email johnrag@vodafone.co.nz
Regional and District Councils have now published their Long Term Plans to 2025. We’ve got a month to put in submissions. The District summary is at http://waidc.govt.nz/Documents-Library/Files/Documents/Plans,-reports,-publications/Long-Term-Plan-2015-25/LTPConsultationDocument2015-2025.aspx.
The Regional summary is at http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/PageFiles/35302/YOUR%20WAIKATO%20LTP%20consultation.pdf. District Council has announced local meetings in most areas, but not yet for Raglan. Presumably they’ll eventually add it to http://waidc.govt.nz/Documents/Plans/Long-Term-Plan/Developing-a-Draft-Long-Term-Plan-2015-25.aspx?.The government has changed the legislation so that councils no longer have to publish the full plans. So the only publication of those is as part of council committee agendas. WDC’s Finance agenda at http://www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/Documents-Library/Files/Your-Council/Agendas-2015/150302-CCL-Extra-Agenda.aspx includes a number of interesting extra details. For example, in 5.1A, page 8 says the Long Term Plan includes an estimate of capital works to be paid for by Raglan Land Co for the 500 house Rangitahi subdivision. However, their population estimates for Raglan show very little growth. On page 13 is an explanation of the real reason for water metering – to raise more money. Regional Council is also switching the burden of rates from large properties to small. On page 12 a table shows rate increases of 12.5% for a $200,000 property, but 5.4% for a $1,000,000 property.
Please let me know what you spot in the plans and whether you’d like WED to organise a meeting and/or a collaborative Google document to help us all prepare our submissions. The TPPA group is putting together model submissions to accompany the petitions which I hope you’ve signed.
As detailed at https://www.raglan23.co.nz/2015/second-raglan-community-board-member-resigns/ the postal election for 2 new Community Board members will close on 5 June. I know at least two environmentally aware people are thinking of standing. We’re still stuck with first past the post elections, so it’d be good not to have too many splitting the vote. What thoughts have you got on how to achieve that and how to get 2 good people elected?
Thanks
John.