After robust discussion in Queenstown yesterday the council voted to adopt the draft plan for consultation, which will begin today.
It outlines a proposed capital investment programme for the decade to 2034 of $2.44billion, almost 60% of which is attributed to Three Waters, and a proposed average rates increase for the next financial year of 15.6%.
While Cr Craig Ferguson said other local authorities across the country were hiking their rates by more — in Central Otago, for example, there was a proposed average rates increase of 18.3% — he noted the QLDC "could have delivered an increase of four or five percentage points lower".
"But the reality shows that we haven’t.
"The cry used to ring out, 10, 15, 20 years ago, that we don’t want the Lakes District to be only for those with money, or the wealthy.
"In my opinion only, this document potentially shows we are edging a long way down that track.
"I suspect there’ll be little thanks around this document for us.
"It could quite possibly go down like a warm fish milkshake with some of our residents."
Outgoing finance manager Stewart Burns said this was the most challenging long-term plan the council had ever put together.
"The overriding difficulty is really the economic conditions that we find ourselves in — high inflation, high interest rates, and escalation in capital projects, so it has been a real challenge to achieve a balance in that regard.
"I think that we’ve done the best that we can in the circumstances — it’s not an easy thing to propose a rates increase of over 15%, but in the sector, that is mid-table in terms of the range of rates increases that we’re seeing."
Cr Barry Bruce, of Wanaka, said before he was elected to the council, "the answers all looked pretty simple".
"But sitting around this table looking out, it’s a totally different story.
"If we fail to make a brave decision we’re only setting up our communities for failure and even greater costs in the future."
Mayor Glyn Lewers said he had described the draft long-term plan as a "meat grinder".
"When I look back to the LTP in Covid times I thought that was ... a bit tough, but it’s got nothing on this one."
He said the council was only adopting the plan for consultation, and commented there would be "further debate to be had over it once we get to deliberations".
"My main focus, when I see $1.5billion of that $2.4b of that capital works programme in Three Waters, I just think back to seven months ago, where we were, in the middle of a cryptosporidium outbreak.
"I never want to go through that again."
Cr Quentin Smith, of Wanaka, said it was "really tough" knowing the council would not be meeting the expectations of the district’s communities, in many areas, "for a long period of time".
The council was, however, investing in things it had to, necessitating "some really tough calls".
Following consultation, hearings on the draft plan are scheduled for August before the council deliberates in September.
