Regional council sets 15% general rates rise to combat increased costs
Rising costs related to government reforms and climate change mitigation efforts have seen Taranaki Regional Council push up residential rates 10% higher than it previously forecast. At Tuesdays meeting of the Taranaki Regional Council (TRC), it adopted its 2023/24 annual plan, which flagged an $8.8 million increase in spending for the year, from $45m indicated in the 2021/31 Long-Term Plan, to $53.8m this financial year. As a result, regional councillors adopted a general rate rise of 15%, 10% more than proposed in the LTP, which equated to most residential ratepayers having to pay an extra $30 a year. In a statement, TRC chair Charlotte Littlewood acknowledged the financial pressure people were under due to the increased cost of living, but said the council needed to ensure it had the level of resource required to deliver the best outcomes for the region. READ MORE: * Waka Kotahi to propose highway speed limit of 80kmph - transport committee members * A new foundation for Taranaki highways not a cheap fix * Taranaki stock effluent dump site could reopen until alternative site found There is a huge amount of change happening now and coming up over the next couple of years and this means we have to be prepared, she said. This included the implementation of central governments freshwater reforms, gearing up for significant change in the area of resource management, as well as considering climate change mitigation. Additions to the plan included an investment in public transport to meet the rising demand from the public for more routes and increased frequency of service. The report said this would be funded by an increase in targeted transport rates, money from Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency, as well as bus fare revenue. In an accompanying report provided to councillors ahead of the meeting, a series of challenges for the coming year, which were described as volatile, were outlined, namely Octobers general election, interest rates and inflation. It also stated that there would be no new work programmes initiated in the coming year, which had not been previously put before the public for consultation as part of the LTP process. The annual plan comes into force from July 1.