Budget challenge looms in CDC plan

Bryan Cadogan.
Bryan Cadogan.
Balancing funding with future project expenditure in its latest long-term plan will be the ''biggest challenge'' the Clutha District Council has faced during the past 20 years, Mayor Bryan Cadogan says.

After considering more than 370 written and 40 verbal submissions, supported by more than 1000 pages of documentation, the council will make its decisions on long-term planning for the next decade at a meeting in Balclutha this afternoon.

The council had received ''really good feedback'' on key points it had raised in its consultation document, with a wide range of other issues highlighted, Mr Cadogan said.

''Social issues'' around housing and drug abuse had been raised by multiple submitters, giving the council ''fresh impetus'' to look at this area in its discussions.

Decisions in the areas of roading and infrastructure would be critical in their influence on funding levels through rates, with demands arising through proposed upgrades to waste facilities and Milton's main street likely to place smaller but still significant burdens on funding.

''We're pleased to have identified the issues exercising the minds of many of our ratepayers through our consultation process, but we're also very aware as a council of balancing those demands against people's ability to pay. This year that's as big a challenge as I've seen in 20 years of this job,'' Mr Cadogan said.

In its consultation document, the council had raised the question of extending sealing of gravel roads to the district's smaller settlements.

That had opened a wider discussion about road upgrades and maintenance, he said.

''There are clear signals throughout the district that roading continues to be high on people's agendas. Unfortunately it's one area where we're limited by the sheer scale of our network, but we'll be looking closely at what we can do to improve matters.''

Clutha's 3000km of roads give it the third-longest road network in the country, on which the council spent about $14 million a year.

That amounted to 44% of council expenditure, and 42% of rates.

It would cost an estimated $600 million to seal all the roads in the district, mostly without NZTA subsidy, he said.

''That would bankrupt us pretty quickly, but it will be interesting to see which way the council sways as regards the options we've laid out.''

During consultation, ratepayers were quizzed on reintroducing sealing for ''high priority areas, within urban 50kmh speed zones, that have experienced growth''.

Options included.-

Stick to the status quo, with no seal extensions and no added rates cost.

Seal 5.7km of urban roads in towns other than Balclutha, at an estimated cost of $2million to ratepayers..

Seal 9km of above urban, and additional rural, roads including Tokoiti, Jack's Bay, Mahinerangi Village and Toko Mouth, at an estimated cost of $3million to ratepayers.

richard.davison@odt.co.nz

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