City rates average 2.83pc

An average rates rise of 2.83 per cent looks to be on the way for Upper Hutt homeowners.

Mayor Wayne Guppy, and the 10 councillors elected as a new team in October, will this afternoon approve their draft Annual Plan for 2017/18 .

This details an overall rates increase which is significantly less than the current financial year’s 4.39 per cent. It is also less than the 4.29 per cent forecast two years ago in the council’s Long Term Plan.

The proposed rates rise comes after the government revaluation of residential properties last year. It means a residential property with an ‘‘average’’ capital value of $417,000 will pay $2117 in annual rates. Rural owners, at an average $717,000 property value, will pay $1364.

The draft plan will be adopted as policy in late June following consultation and hearing of public submissions.

Guppy said the forecast rates rise and Annual Plan overall were ‘‘the result of a deliberately disciplined approach’’.

‘‘Those Long Term Plan projections were made a little while earlier, of course.’’

A comprehensive review of all areas of work and spending was undertaken, he said.

Four spending initiatives are identified, three relating to the city’s economic approach. These include the $250,000 continuation of the council’s economic develop- ment stimulus policy.

‘‘Over the past three years, $1million of incentives granted through the policy have enabled investment of more than $7.7m in Upper Hutt, of which $4.9m was invested in the city centre,’’ the Annual Plan said.

A Strategic Property Fund, at a $500,000 start-up cost, will allow the city to ’’timely’’ buy property it identifies as strategic.

One possible use could be the establishment of a city centre green space, the plan said.

Council’s commitment to developing the city’s sports facilities anchors the spending proposal.

It will look for public support for half the funding - to a maximum of $100,000 - for the resurfacing of seven netball courts at Heretaunga College.

These courts have been the home of Upper Hutt Junior Netball since 1979. Resealing them ‘‘will ensure that Upper Hutt youth and those visiting will have suitable facilities for the forseeable future’’.