The Otago Regional Council has adopted its annual plan for the 2010-11 year and the resulting rating resolution which was described by corporate services director Wayne Scott as mostly "business as usual".
The annual plan included biodiversity funding for two new walkways, a provision of about $100,000 for the promised review of the Taieri rating schemes (most of which was to come from existing budgets) and the activation of the new Queenstown transport rate.
Chairman Stephen Cairns said the nil general rate increase and provision for the small but significant new projects was a good outcome for the council and the region.
Councillors had discussed the annual plan recommendations in detail at a committee meeting earlier this month and supported them, he said.
Mr Scott said bus service contracts coming in under budget meant the transport rate for Dunedin was going down, but in Queenstown the introduction of new services meant residents there would be facing a transport rate for the first time.
"Apart from that, it is business as usual," he said.
The changes to GST would not impact on regional council rates as they were sent out in a single instalment before the October 1 increase, he said.
However, it would mean changes to the council's fees and charges and Dunedin bus fares.
