Open letter calls for regional council to delay rates hikes
The chairman of the Mataura Catchment Liaison Committee has called on Environment Southland to pause or delay all aspects of flood planning and infrastructure rating for at least a year, so that ratepayers can be better informed about proposed rates increases.
The council says no decisions on its 2024-34 Long Term Plan will be made until all submissions have been considered and deliberated on.
Hugh Gardyne has written an open letter to the regional council’s executives and councillors, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, ACT leader David Seymour and Southland MP Joseph Mooney about Environment Southland’s current Long Term Plan process and the impact of new rating and increasing debt levels.
Environment Southland proposed a 23% average rates increase this year, including the introduction of a new Flood Protection Infrastructure Rate that would fund increased flood modelling and data collection, improved capability and maintenance and investigation into alternative ways to reduce flood risk for the longer term.
It also proposed rating properties on their capital values, replacing the existing 140 targeted rates, to pay for improved flood mitigation, including repayment of debt for new flood infrastructure.
The letter was critical of the fact that the Long Term Plan had no comment on the affordability of rates and huge increases in debt when ratepayers are under significant stress from cost of living, commodity prices and increases in insurance and interest costs.
It said the regional council was feeding inflation and rates increases will inevitably result in interest rates being higher for longer.
It said the “enormous hike’’ in flood planning and infrastructure expenses, which accounts for 14% of the increase, moneys commandeered from leasehold reserves (4%), the consequential ($73 million) debt, and significant staff increases have not been well communicated and detail was lacking in the Long Term Plan for ratepayers to fully understand.
Gardyne says he has a meeting scheduled with the council at the end May and fears that the direction of the Long Term Plan will be ‘’well decided’’ by then.
Environment Southland general manager strategy, science and engagement Rachael Millar confirmed the council had received the letter, which “raises a number of discussion points relating to the council’s 2024-34 Long Term Plan consultation document’’.
“The council is currently seeking submissions from the Southland community on the consultation document and welcomes this feedback from the Mataura Catchment Liaison Committee,” she said.
“The region’s catchment liaison committees play an important advisory role in the management of the region’s rivers and catchments.
“No decisions on Environment Southland’s 2024-34 Long Term Plan will be made until all submissions have been considered and deliberated on.’’
“The council is currently seeking submissions from the Southland community on the consultation document and welcomes this feedback from the Mataura Catchment Liaison Committee.”
Rachael Millar