Councillor Simon Edwards - Lower Hutt's 10 Year Plan
Because Lower Hutt residents are facing a 16.9% rates rise the councillors are attending every group and event and meeting that they can to explain the reasons. Simon was standing in for another councillor at short notice but gave a very clear and well explained exposition of the situation. All councils are required to have a ten year budget plan reviewed every three years. This is important as the city needs to plan for the future, particularly as the population is projected to grow from 113000 to over 140000.
The major needs are based on the infrastructure of roading and the three waters, and there are also big budget items like the Naenae pool, the Melling Link and the shared pathways. The government will help with some of these. The most urgent need is to spend $1.6 billion on the three waters, drinking, storm and sewage. Many of the pipes are way past their use-by date as evidenced by the current crop of leeks. From 2020 to 2022 the council replaced 14.5 km of pipes, and is currently spending more on pipe replacement than any other council in the region, but it needs to replace at least 30km every year to make the system "fit for purpose". The plan also includes installing water meters in every household between 2026 and 2030. Currently Lower Hutt uses 400 litres of water per person per day almost twice the rate in Auckland. The last Labour government was going to assist with the cost with its Three Waters Policy but the present government has replaced this with its "Local Water Done Well", a euphemism for "you will pay for it".
Roading and transport are also expensive, facing a $93 million increase to a cost of $188.8 million. Fortunately it looks possible that Waka Kotahi will take on the cross valley link as a road of national importance and pay for it, as Petone Esplanade already takes more vehicles every day than Transmission Gully. The council is budgeting $60 million for cycle ways.
The proposed rates increase will work out to be $10.83 per fortnight for every household although there will be a remission of up to $250 for low income ratepayers provided they also qualify for the government funded rebate of $750.
Future issues include an organic waist collection which the Labour Government had mandated by 2027, Petone Wharf, parking meters in Petone and the Petone Library, presently in need of replacement. Some cuts have already been made, such as ending the City Ambassadors who would walk the streets with eyes open for problems, a Youth Hub in Naenae and possibly the availability of some community halls, and the Citizens Advice Bureau, and possible sources of revenue are being considered, such as charging higher fees to developers.
Paying rates is never pleasant and rates increases are never going to be popular but Simon did a good job of explaining the current situation.