Annual Plan hearings now underway

File Photo.

Councillors have begun listening to ratepayers' feedback, opinions and advice about Tauranga City Council's financial management plan for the coming year as part of a series of Annual Plan hearings.

The Annual Plan process updates work plans and budgets Tauranga City Council set through the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan, and any significant or material differences are brought to the community for review and feedback.

Significant or material differences to next year's budget include a proposal to fund $4 million towards a new Visitor Information Centre in Mount Maunganui to support the growth of the tourism sector in Tauranga.

There are also requests from the Papamoa and Mount Mainstreet organisations to increase their targeted rates, which are paid by commercial ratepayers in each area.

There are also differences in planned rates and debt levels, brought about by the city's fast growth rate requiring the council to reprioritise investment and spend money sooner than planned – which means a proposed rates increase of 3.8 per cent instead of the 3.5 per cent agreed through the LTP.

The city's net debt will be $462m instead of $427m and the debt to revenue ratio will be at 221 per cent instead of 215 per cent.

The council is also seeking feedback on some proposed changes to user fees and charges, and to the draft Development Contributions Policy 2017/18.

Funding has been confirmed for the following projects in the draft 2017/18 Annual Plan:

  • Sludge pond decommissioning at Te Maunga wastewater treatment plant - $6m
  • Extension of Tauranga airport terminal - $4.6m
  • Structure plans for new urban growth areas - $1.6m
  • New Papamoa Community Surf Rescue Base - $950,000
  • Floodlighting at Bay Oval regional cricket ground - $765,000
  • Third hockey turf at Blake Park - $600,000 contribution

Tauranga City Council Annual Plan hearings began on Tuesday, May 9, at 9am.

For more information, visit www.tauranga.govt.nz

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3 comments

here we go again

Posted on 09-05-2017 17:50 | By old trucker

Scince when have they listened to RATEPAYERS FEEDBACK,yeah right, can they not play cricket in daytime instead of $765,000 for lights, for goodness sake, they are always spending on Airport extensions,when is this going to end, the DEBT is $35 million more, someone must have their finger in the pie somewhere with all this going on, gosh Mr Mayor we DO NOT here from you at all on all this Spending, are you still getting your FAT SALARY as you are not doing much to CURB spending.my thoughts only,Sunlive is No1,Thankyou 10-4.


They just don't listen anyway

Posted on 09-05-2017 19:15 | By papakiwi

The Council have already made up there mind where they are spending the money they grab from ratepayers. This Feedback is simply a waste of time, Council can say it is cost more money to do this so increase the rates again to feed there grandiose plans. Council need to start looking at existing services, waterways, roading and get them fixed before going off on a tangent to fund their grandiose ideas. Look at Maunganui Rd in the mornings 7-45 to 8am gridlocked from Hewletts Rd back to Te Maunga. The Flyovers will not relieve any pressure on this area, all it will cause is more gridlocks witch will bank up back further. The new Mayor is just following Crosby and will spend spend spend. Look out for a $70million Council chamber to make the Council look good


here we go again

Posted on 10-05-2017 11:20 | By old trucker

Agree with By papakiwi,when in a truck crawling along rd from Bayfair,to Hewllets is awefull,The lights on Hewletts are on for 20+secs instead of at least 1 minute in peak times,and then the lights are not in sequence, i feel you should be able to us Buslane or at least heavy trucks etc to use it, the down time for us drivers is bedlam. my thoughts only,NZTA will not listen, No1 Sunlive the BEST in the Bay, Thankyou,10-4.


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