The recent passing of the Water Services Acts Repeal Bill in Parliament has included provisions allowing councils to delay their plans and relax regulations to allow councils to update their plans to reflect the changes.
The three councils said they always intended to include Three Waters in their Long Term Plans, noting it was easier to remove it at a later date, rather than to add it in.
Hurunui District Council chief financial officer Jason Beck said delaying the adoption of the Long Term Plan from June to September would only complicate rates collection.
‘‘We can’t set the rates for the coming year until we adopt our annual plan, so if we do not adopt our annual plan by the end of June, we will have to collect the first quarter instalment based on last year’s rates.
Waimakariri District Council chief executive Jeff Millward said staff considered delaying the Long Term Plan for a year due to changes in Government legislation, but considered it would be detrimental.
‘‘If we did take up the option, we would be doing a one year plan with no future planning and then we would have to go back and do it gain next year.
‘‘We are a growth council and so we need to stay relevant in the market.’’
Kaikōura District Council chief executive Will Doughty said his council had already done six months work so it was not interested in any delays.
Delaying the Long Term Plan by a year would mean doing ‘‘an enhanced annual plan’’ this year and redoing the Long Term Plan next year.
The Waimakariri District Council was one of the first councils to get its consultation document audited, while the Hurunui District Council is also planning to go ahead with its planned audit.
The Kaikōura District Council voted last week to accept a staff recommendation to proceed with an unaudited consultation document.
By David Hill, Long Democracy Reporter
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
