At an additional council meeting last week, councillors confirmed updates to the second year of the 2021-31 long-term plan, including a provisional rates rise of 6.47%, down from the projected 8.53%, and agreed to consult with the public on the council’s 2022-23 annual plan.
Mr Parmley said the draft annual plan covered an "ambitious" programme of work for the council, including a substantial capital work programme, and several factors contributed to the proposed increase in rates.
"There is a catch-up in here from Covid, when decisions were made previously to hold off rate increases," he said.
"There’s also a lot of inflation in the system, we can see that in the business community and that’s impacting us as well as an organisation in terms of the cost of supplies, and services, and staffing."
The capital work programme had a particular focus on Three Waters infrastructure, bringing forward some of the projects in the long-term plan to ensure the district was in a good position should the assets be transferred as planned in the reform programme.
"One of our key risks in the coming year will be our ability to deliver all of our programmed work," he said.
"We’ve got several factors to consider as we plan our delivery, such as securing materials and labour and an increasingly competitive market.
"Our own organisation staffing capacity remains stretched, and we’re carrying a number of vacancies which we’re struggling to recruit at the moment."
Planned reforms — including of Three Waters, the Resource Management Act, health and local government — would also affect the council.
"As a council, it’s really important we engage in these reforms if we’re going to ensure the best possible result for our community, but engaging takes capacity away from the organisation and delivery."
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said the "vast majority" of the council’s money was spent on roading and water infrastructure, and parks and reserves.
This year, it had focused on the "must haves", rather than the "nice to haves", and Mr Kircher commended staff and councillors for the work they had done to get the draft annual plan to where it was.
"It’s not an easy time, but we’re not in this for an easy run — our decision-making, our governing, we’ve got to make some hard calls along the way," he said.
While the proposed change to rates did not constitute a significant difference to the long-term plan, some of the projects proposed for 2022-23 were considered "significant" and did require a level of engagement with the community.
Councillors would meet again on March 29 to approve the implementation of the engagement plan, and consultation was proposed to run from April 13 to May 4. Community feedback would be heard and considered in May, an the annual plan adopted by the end of June.
