Jetty owners in the Queenstown Lakes District could be facing a fee increase of more than 300% under a series of pricing changes put before the council on Thursday.
The changes were included in a draft statement of proposal among several other adjustments to user fees and charges across areas such as council-owned parking spaces and sports facilities.
While increases in the proposal amounted to changes of less than 10% in most cases, the annual fee for jetty permits would increase from $175 to $800, an increase of 357%.
Private and commercial moorings, currently priced at $250 and $290 respectively, would also be increased to $800, representing increases of 220% and 176%.
The draft proposal noted this was the first time jetty and mooring fees had been reviewed since 2011.
"Since then, the actual costs to deliver the activity has increased significantly."
The proposal said council costs included visual safety inspections, permit administration, education, and ensuring proposed and existing jetties and mooring are safe and compliant.
"With over 300 moorings across the district, this is a significant undertaking."
The changes in mooring and jetty fees alone were expected to bring in an additional $113,000 in revenue for the council during the 2024-2025 year, bringing the projected total to $236,522.
During a Q&A session between councillors and QLDC staff about the entire draft proposal, much of the focus was placed on the changes to mooring and jetty fees.
Councillor Nikki Gladding said the sheer scale of the proposed changes would be "a big deal" for some people, and felt the three paragraphs providing context for them in the proposal were insufficient.
"I’d like some comment around the adequacy of this document. Could we be providing more information to submitters so they can give better feedback?"
Cr Matthew Wong questioned why the council had not reviewed and adjusted user fees on a more regular basis, as opposed to introducing such a sudden and significant increase after a 13-year gap.
A submission period for the proposal began yesterday and ends on May 5.
After voting to adopt the draft proposal for consultation, council members appointed a three-member panel to review in-person submissions at a hearing on May 27.
While changes to fees and charges were usually reviewed as part of the council’s annual plan process, this year’s long-term plan had been delayed after the government requested the QLDC "include planning and funding for three waters service delivery for the full 10-year timeframe of an LTP".
A copy of the draft statement of proposal is available on the QLDC website.
