Roading, services council priorities

THE Waitaki District Council’s draft annual plan consultation document lays out roading and customer services as two council priorities for the coming year.

The twopage draft document published by the council yesterday shows the council has plans to change the intersection of Tyne and Arun Sts at Oamaru Harbour, citing safety in the area as a concern.

The draft also indicates the council has plans to create a link road at the North End business park in Oamaru.

Rural roads in Waihemo and Ahuriri wards would also be addressed in the consultation.

Developing a 1000sq m urban park at the farmers’ market and Oamaru Harbour redevelopment for $215,000; a regulatory services spending increase of $389,000; and fixing the collapsed Severn St wall for $200,000 will be consulted on this year.

If the community engagement plan is approved at the council’s extraordinary council meeting on Wednesday, public consultation would be scheduled from March 24 to April 18, for a June 21 adoption of the plan.

Examples of rates increases, if the plan remained unchanged — provided in the proposed consultation document — show: for an Oamaru residential property with a capital value of $250,000, rates would increase from $2233 to $2257; an Oamaru commercial property with a capital value of $395,000 would increase from $4461 to $4561; and a Waihemo agricultural property valued at $1.4 million would increase from $5469 to $5522.

hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz