Opposition grows to review of flood rate

Opposition to the Otago Regional Council's proposed Taieri flood and drainage rating review is mounting, with nearly all the submissions to its annual plan on the subject against the changes.

About 150 submissions to the Otago Regional Council's annual plan have been made, and 60 people have sought to present their views to a panel this week.

Submissions on the 2011-12 draft annual plan and amendments to the 2009-19 long-term council community plan closed last week.

Hearings will be held in Dunedin today and tomorrow and in Central Otago on Friday.

The long-term plan featured three proposed amendments - revised funding options for the Leith Lindsay Flood Protection Scheme; changes to the way flood and drainage schemes on the Taieri Plain are rated; and the proposed addition of about 800 households to the Dunedin passenger transport rating area.

About 40 of those submissions were from Taieri, including many from West Taieri ratepayers, and all but one opposed the proposed changes.

Comments indicated the proposal had caused "considerable angst" and that many believed the changes unfair. Some suggested the status quo should remain and others wanted further investigation and consultation before changes were implemented.

The Leith Lindsay issue drew about 17 submissions, most suggesting the best option was the one dropping the Lindsay Creek work. They also urged that government funding be sought.

Other issues submitted on included transport and buses, biodiversity and wilding pines.

The Dunedin City Council was one of the few submitters to suggest option one or two - that completing the full scheme was the way the regional council should go.

The number of submissions was up on last year's 108 and well down on the 220 the year before, when the Forsyth Barr Stadium was on the agenda.

- rebecca.fox@odt.co.nz

 

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