Council considers its Long Term Plan
Tararua’s District Councillors carefully considered the 90 submissions to the Long
Term Plan at their monthly meeting on May 30.
Councillors heard presentations from 25 submitters at a special meeting on May 22.
Most of the submissions related to the seven issues the council asked for feedback on.
On May 30 it adopted its plan to upgrade Route 52 from Weber Junction to the Central Hawke’s Bay boundary, a distance of
25km, acknowledging it was a vital link for rural communities with potential for increased tourist traffic.
Connectivity gained huge support from the public, and the council agreed to provide capital funding of $800,000 spread over 2018/2019 and 2021/2022 saying this was a vital element for growth and prosperity in Tararua.
Building of a new wastewater pipeline from
Eketahuna to a new treatment station at
Pahiatua is also to go ahead, receiving strong support from submissions.
Councillors voted to provide a capital works programme focused on reducing the risk of flooding to residential properties while optimising existing systems as funding allows.
Pensioner housing owned by the council is here to stay with ownership retained, refurbishment undertaken over time and new units to be built.
Utility network extensions of 10 sections per annum from 2019/2020 will allow for expansion of housing. The council recognised the potential for growth.
Seal extensions to the huge unsealed roading network was the issue councillors discussed at length, taking consideration of the feedback that 1km two years was too slow.
It decided to double the rate, and funding for this is likely to cost half a per cent in rates increase.
Details on other submissions will be published next week.