Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher emphasised the increase was an average across the district. Councillors went through the 2014-15 budget and extra expenditure, then looked at items raised by some of about 80 submissions received on the draft annual plan.
In this year's financial year, the council is collecting $28.27 million in rates.
In the draft annual plan, it proposed to collect $29.016 million, a 2.6% rise.
After hearing the submissions, some extra projects were included and the council yesterday started with a 3% increase to collect $29.122 million.
By the time it finished making changes, the council had a 2.96% increase to collect $29.106 millionThe ''big ticket item'', as described by Mr Kircher, was setting aside an additional $635,000 for rural roading, $402,900 from rates and the rest from depreciation.
Under the Rural Resilience Waitaki Project, the money is aimed at strengthening roads to reduce maintenance costs and damage during major emergencies, such as flooding.
It was also a popular subject for submissions from rural ratepayers, complaining about a decline in standards of their roads.
Mr Kircher said it showed the council was taking seriously how it looked after rural roads, under more stress because of increased traffic, heavier vehicles and dairy conversions.
Cr Bill Kingan, who represents the rural Corriedale ward, said the increase was ''a lot of money'', but the message he was getting was that country people wanted roading to be better, which meant spending more.
A decision not on the list of recommendations was reducing the contribution to the Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust by $20,000 - taking it down to $200,000 for the year - based on a resolution the council passed some years ago to do that on an annual basis, but which had not happened.
Crs Peter Garvan, Melanie Tavendale and Sharyn Price opposed that, on the basis it was being done without any chance for the trust to comment.
However, Cr Colin Wollstein said that would not be a surprise because the council had signalled that some years ago.
Enough councillors felt the decision should be implemented, the deduction being approved.
If the trust found the cut difficult, then the council could consider a grant from sources other than rates.
It also removed $20,000 for the Gigatown Oamaru project, which would have been used if Oamaru finished in the top five of the competition.
It is sitting at 10th, statistically almost impossible to now reach the top five.
Some other items added to rates were $50,000 a year for erosion protection for the coastal road between Oamaru and Waianakarua, $20,000 for additional costs at the Ahuriri and Hampden waste transfer stations, up to $15,000 for a bus shelter in Eden St built against the toilet block wall, $12,000 for mountain bike tracks at Cape Wanbrow and Reservoir reserves, $10,000 for additional signs for tourists, $5000 for maintenance or creation of war memorials and $4000 additional grant to the East Otago community swimming pool.
The plan will get final formal approval on June 25.
