Mayor Sam Broughton said the district council is “acutely aware” of the rising costs residents are facing and had worked hard to keep rates as low as possible.
"Council has worked hard to pull together a work programme that keeps the rates as low as possible while ensuring its services and facilities continue to meet the needs of Selwyn’s ever-growing communities," he said.
The proposed average increase of 5.9 per cent is slightly higher than the 5.5 per cent increase forecast in the council’s Long Term Plan, but below the current rate of inflation of 7.2 per cent.
The draft plan outlines what the council is going to do over the coming year and how much it will cost. It’s the third year of the council’s Long-Term Plan 2021-2031.
“We are acutely aware of the rising living costs that our residents are facing at the moment given the high inflation," Broughton said.
For a typical household this rate increase means an extra $3.36 a week. This is an average, and for individual ratepayers, the actual change may be smaller or greater, depending on their location and the services provided.
“When planning our capital projects, we focused on what’s achievable, and thanks to several new government initiatives we have had an opportunity to also access additional funding sources.
"This has enabled us to progress new projects or bring some already planned forward, particularly in the transportation area.
"An example of such a project is traffic signals at a key arterial intersection in Selwyn - Levi/Lowes/Masefield/Lincoln Rolleston Road traffic signals, which was originally scheduled for 2025/26,” says Broughton.
In addition to several major projects, the council is continuing to invest in services, facilities and infrastructure, and other community projects across the district
To deliver these services and facilities, the plan proposes committing $137.7 million to capital projects over the next 12 months. This includes $20.8 million in water supply projects, $45.8 million in wastewater projects and $43.5 million in transportation projects.
“While our work programme for next year is pretty much on track with what’s outlined in our Long-Term Plan that was widely consulted on, it’s still important that we hear from our Selwyn communities.
"I encourage everyone to have a look at our draft plan and let us know if we are on the right track or if we have missed something,” says Broughton.
The feedback period is open from Friday, March 31, until 5pm Friday, April 28.
People will also have a chance to talk to their local councillor at drop-in sessions held in each ward.
More information on how to give feedback on the draft Annual Plan will be available at selwyn.govt.nz/annualplan2023 from March 31.
