Annual Plan 2009-10

There were rounds of applause as owners of rural lifestyle blocks, and those who saw themselves as farmers in every sense of the word, argued against being charged residential rates at yesterday's Dunedin City Council annual plan hearing.

The long-running battle over plans to realign Lovelock Ave resumed at the Dunedin City Council annual plan hearings yesterday.

There was something missing at the Dunedin City Council's first day of annual plan hearings yesterday.

Dunedin City Council staff say part of an existing cemetery - as well as other sites around Dunedin - could be used to meet the growing demand for natural burials.

A $500 flat rate on Dunedin's bed and breakfast owners was too heavy a price to pay for businesses often run by retired people for a small second source of income, the annual plan hearing was told yesterday.

Ratepayers are facing a 7% rise in rates for the coming financial year, after last-minute attempts by the Dunedin City Council to shave spending fell flat.

The Dunedin City Council has added more urgent language to its commitment to cycleways and walkways, but heard yesterday government funding for such initiatives has decreased.

An attempt by some Dunedin city councillors to signal their frustration at government funding cuts was narrowly defeated yesterday.

The Regent Theatre has been given $350,000 for design work for an upgrade in the next financial year, and $4.4 million in the 2010-11 financial year for construction work, but the latter will not be certain until consultation for next year's annual plan.

The Dunedin City Council has approved a 25% rise in building consent fees to cover a $1.47 million budget shortfall.