A new twice-yearly report on cost-of-living pressures in the Waitaki will help decision-makers face up to the impact their choices have, a councillor says.  

With price increases across the board and the community’s response to the council’s 16.9% rates increase bringing residents’ financial hardship to the fore, councillors decided this week the full council should be updated with a bi-annual report into the financial issues ratepayers were facing.

The report would detail the use of council services, outlining any trends and data from the Stronger Waitaki network, alongside data and feedback from other service agencies.

The decision this week followed a request by the council’s strategy and advocacy committee.

Cr Sven Thelning said it was important there was regular reporting on the matter.

Significant infrastructure issues facing the district would be paid for through rates which would have an impact on affordability for the community.

“We’ve got some massive financial challenges ahead of us,” Cr Thelning said.

“As that plays out over the next few years I think it’s really important to face up and actually see the information come through about the effects of the decisions we’re making because they’re not going to be easy decisions.”

Cr Hana Fanene-Taiti said the depth of data, trends and patterns of what was happening in the community was relevant and “we shouldn’t lose sight” of this.

The information was important enough to be brought before the full council rather than a committee, she said.

Being informed was a necessity and councillors had to have their finger on the pulse, Cr John McCone said.

Cr Brent Cowles worried about the consequences of not having the information available when making decisions.

“I just feel the more data that we have around these issues the better.”

Cr Dan Lewis agreed with Cr Cowles that it would be “incredibly useful” to have statistics from police and other agencies folded into the report.

“I wasn’t aware that we had any homeless issues until it was raised at this point because it’s out of sight, out of mind from what I can see.”

A better understanding of the issues residents were facing, being able to see a trend developing and if there were areas to put further resources into was key to “nip things in the bud where possible”, he said.

The Oamaru Mail reported last month that vulnerable members of the community were “in crisis”.

Advocacy groups warned that seniors were struggling with the spiralling cost of living, which had left older residents increasingly isolated from their community and struggling to feed themselves.

A high rate of inflation, petrol prices, power hikes and rates increases were a “real concern”.