Community submissions for the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s 2023-24 draft annual plan have more than doubled last year’s number, in a year where ratepayers are eyeing a proposed average rates increase of 13.6%.
The council received about 300 submissions between March 24 and April 26, QLDC media and channels adviser Sam White said.
"Of these, around 40 are community grant applications."
Last year’s plan received 130 submissions in a similar period of time.
While Mr White said it was too early to provide any detail on the content of those submissions, the council would release them to the public later this month.
"All submissions will be publicly available on our Let’s Talk website around mid-May."
Albert Town Community Association chairwoman Heather Thorne said the association’s submission criticised the proposed rates increases, which would place "huge pressure" on residents, particularly young families and the elderly.
"If people are paying for leaky buildings in Queenstown, they’re not seeing anything for their rate value in Upper Clutha.
"I don’t know what the solution is, but people are going to see things going backwards while their rates increase, and that’s going to hurt."
Luggate Community Association chair Rod Anderson said there was little that could be done about the rates increases, and instead used the group’s submission to ask the council to follow through on their promise to restore the town’s playground.
"We were told that it would be reinstated, but there’s no money set aside for it in the annual plan."
A hearing for the annual plan will be hosted by the council on Monday, May 22 at the Lake Wānaka Centre.
Mr White said the council would provide a breakdown of the submissions around the time of the council’s June meeting, where councillors were expected to approve a final version of the plan.
The current draft contains a proposed capital expenditure programme for the coming year of $202.8 million, a figure $34.5 million higher than what was set out for 2022-23 in the 10-year plan.
A further $106.7 million worth of projects from across the region would be deferred into 2024-25 or later in an effort to keep spending down.