Consultation on Waipā fees and charges open

A 10 per cent increase is proposed across the majority of Waipā District Council’s fees and charges for the 2024/2025 year following escalating costs to deliver some services.

Community feedback on the proposal is open.

Increases will not impact all residents though, as fees and charges only affect the users of services such as dog registrations, burial fees and building consents.

Council deputy chief executive Ken Morris said inflation, interest rates and increasing overheads are hitting Waipā‘s bottom line just like they are for other businesses and residents.

“We are not immune to the current state of the economy. We must respond accordingly to ensure costs can be recovered.”

Fees and charges are reviewed and consulted on annually. They are updated when required to better reflect the true cost of providing certain services outlined in the council’s Revenue and Finance Policy.

“There are a few exceptions to the 10 per cent increase. Some fees, like alcohol licencing, need to align with the Government’s set fees,” Morris said.

“We are proposing increases of 20 per cent for casket burials at Hautapu and Te Awamutu Cemeteries, but ash burials will not increase. These two cemeteries are at a premium and nearing capacity. By increasing the fee for casket burials, we may incentivise ash burials, saving space and environmental impacts.

“On the flip side, we have tried to keep increases low for borrowing items from the library. There are no increases for community groups hiring the Te Awamutu library community spaces. Our aim here is to provide some financial relief for nonprofit groups.”

Consultation is open for four weeks, closing on April 26.

■ The statement of proposal, draft schedule of fees and charges for 2024/2025, and the submission form are available at haveyoursay. waipadc.govt.nz.

Hard copies will also be available at council offices and libraries.