Hearings for rates to be held

Waikato District Council staff are processing final submissions on proposed changes to targeted wastewater rates in the council’s annual plan.

The proposed changes will see targeted wastewater rates increase by between $47 and $254.

The period for submissions closed on May 15 and hearings will be held on May 31.

The council will then deliberate on the results of the consultation and is expected to make a final decision on June 28.

So far the council has received 459 submissions, with those in favour of Option 1 and 2 running at nearly 45 per cent each.

Ngaruawahia residents and ratepayers have sent in the most submissions, followed by residents and ratepayers in Raglan, Tuakau, Huntly and Pokeno in that order.

The proposed rate changes are complicated by the fact that the council is still in the process of moving from five different wastewater rates throughout the district to a single district-wide rate that will be introduced in the coming year.

Not all Waikato district ratepayers are affected by the decision as 22,000 ratepayers are on septic tanks and are not connected to a wastewater system.

General rates are set to rise by less than 3 per cent and other targeted rates will follow the rate of inflation.

For town-based residential ratepayers who are connected to a wastewater system the impact of the rate rise will vary considerably depending on property value, location, the wastewater works option chosen and other services offered.

Ratepayers can check the impact on their individual rates with an online rates calculator at waikatodistrict.govt.nz/rid.