Council adopts higher fees, adds new charges
The Waimate District Council has agreed to increase some fees and charges across a range of activities and services to avoid further rates increases.
At a meeting on Tuesday, Waimate councillors adopted the new fees and charges for the 2024-25 financial year. They will come into effect on July 1.
In a report to councillors, the council’s corporate services assistant, Helen Strachan, said prices were set on a “cost recovery” basis unless legislative or policy considerations dictated otherwise.
“Full costs include both direct and indirect costs, including depreciation and interest,” the report said.
“If fees are not sufficient to cover the cost of an activity, the remainder will come from rates – an inequitable outcome. Fees and charges are one of our first options to cover the cost of an activity, with rates the last.”
Costs for council services and facilities are going up across the board, including in the areas of urban Three Waters, rural Three Waters, waste management, resource consents, environmental services and camping.
Application fees for urban Three Waters services (water, sewer or storm) will increase from $250 to $275. The increase for rural areas is similar.
The cost to dump rubbish at the resource recovery park will rise from $325 a tonne to $429 a tonne, while green waste will go up from $146 a tonne to $175 a tonne.
The cost of building consent applications will increase by between $27 and $108, depending on the overall cost of the project. A notified resource consent application will cost $1000 more, and hairdressers will have to shell out $70 more for their licensing.
The cost of some types of accommodation at the Victoria Park Motor Camp, Knottingley Park and St Andrews Domain will go up, with the largest increase being an additional $125 a week for an ensuite cabin at Victoria Park. The cost of a Waimate Lakes season pass will rise to $470, an increase of $20.
Weekly rental prices for the district’s community housing will increase by $15 at single units and at double units for beneficiaries.
A new charge has been added at the Norman Kirk Memorial Pool, meaning adults aged between 65 and 79 will pay $3 for a swim.
New licensing fees have also been introduced for beauty therapists (makeup only), who will pay $200. Service providers deemed “high risk”, such as businesses offering skin piercing or tattooing, will pay $300.