ORC to hear wishlist for planned rates rise

More than 100 groups and individuals are set to tell the Otago Regional Council over the next two days what they want the council to spend ratepayers’ money on over the next decade.

Councillors will hear submissions to the council’s long term plan in both Dunedin and Queenstown, using Zoom.

The council will make decisions on what to spend the money on next week and adopt the new plan on June 23.

More than 560 written submissions were made on the plan, which proposes a preferred rates rise of 47.5% in the first year and a general rates increases of 73.2% in 2021-22. Targeted rates could rise by 29% in the first year.

The regional council also specifically asked residents for feedback on how it should assist with pest control, restore Lake Hayes, and balance its budget.

Despite the sticker shock, many submitters supported the rates hike, which the council has said is necessary to fund an increasing workload brought on by various reasons, including new national freshwater policies.

The Queenstown-Lakes District Council, however, submitted the regional council should use a general rates offset to smooth the increase instead of the increase.

"While the dollar values are not high over the course of a year, the Queenstown Lakes District has experienced significant hardship as a result of Covid-19 and affordability is a serious concern," its submission said.

Other common themes among submitters were public transport, including from the Dunedin City Council, which has again highlighted its desire to take over the city’s public bus service in the next decade; not liking a pause in air quality monitoring; and wanting more spent on pest control.

The new long term plan 2021-31 will come into effect on July 1.

molly.houseman@odt.co.nz