Latest news with #Long-termPlan
Scoop
5 days ago
- General
- Scoop
New Library For Cannons Creek Gets Go-Ahead
Press Release – Porirua City Council The new building, to be placed on Bedford Reserve, near Cannons Creek Pool, will cost $4 million. Funding comes from already existing budgets within Councils 2024-34 Long-term Plan. A new library to be built in Cannons Creek in Porirua in the next two years is being hailed by the Mayor and city councillors as a facility current and future generations will be proud to call their own. The new building, to be placed on Bedford Reserve, near Cannons Creek Pool, will cost $4 million. Funding comes from already existing budgets within Council's 2024-34 Long-term Plan. A report to Council's Te Puna Kōrero meeting on Thursday outlined safety concerns about the current library, which is located alongside other shops, including instances where staff have had to secure the building due to disorder happening outside. The Cannons Creek Library, established in 1985 after taking over a former draper's shop, is 'difficult to secure safely', the report says. Despite this, it is a vibrant community space that has school visits and has become a thriving after-school spot, has a public computer hub and is a drop-in place for people to connect and relax. It also has a NZ Post box. The report also notes the ageing 1960s building has a leaky roof, limited natural light and heating, inadequate staff areas and not enough seating or study space. The building next door is potentially earthquake-prone and a seismic assessment of the library building is due in September this year. Mayor Anita Baker said a new library was critical for the suburb and will create a better environment for library staff and visitors. 'We've had unsafe actions out on the street that have come into the library itself,' she said. 'This is overdue for our community and something our people have wanted for a long time.' Cr Geoff Hayward said this was not just about upgrading a building, but 'preparing a waka for the journey ahead'. 'This is a gift, a vessel of learning, open to all,' he said. 'This community that has been waiting patiently for a facility that reflects its wairua, its mana and future. A new library is saying 'Cannons Creek matters'.' The library will be built with modular technology, meaning it will constructed in a factory and transported to the site, and can be added to or enlarged in the future if required. It will also have new computers for the public to use. Originally, $20 million was set aside for a community hub in Cannons Creek in the 2018-38 Long-term Plan, but agreeing to the $4 million proposal and bringing the project forward was supported by Mayor Baker and councillors. The community will be consulted during the design stage of the project.
Scoop
5 days ago
- General
- Scoop
New Library For Cannons Creek Gets Go-Ahead
A new library to be built in Cannons Creek in Porirua in the next two years is being hailed by the Mayor and city councillors as a facility current and future generations will be proud to call their own. The new building, to be placed on Bedford Reserve, near Cannons Creek Pool, will cost $4 million. Funding comes from already existing budgets within Council's 2024-34 Long-term Plan. A report to Council's Te Puna Kōrero meeting on Thursday outlined safety concerns about the current library, which is located alongside other shops, including instances where staff have had to secure the building due to disorder happening outside. The Cannons Creek Library, established in 1985 after taking over a former draper's shop, is "difficult to secure safely", the report says. Despite this, it is a vibrant community space that has school visits and has become a thriving after-school spot, has a public computer hub and is a drop-in place for people to connect and relax. It also has a NZ Post box. The report also notes the ageing 1960s building has a leaky roof, limited natural light and heating, inadequate staff areas and not enough seating or study space. The building next door is potentially earthquake-prone and a seismic assessment of the library building is due in September this year. Mayor Anita Baker said a new library was critical for the suburb and will create a better environment for library staff and visitors. "We've had unsafe actions out on the street that have come into the library itself," she said. "This is overdue for our community and something our people have wanted for a long time." Cr Geoff Hayward said this was not just about upgrading a building, but "preparing a waka for the journey ahead". "This is a gift, a vessel of learning, open to all," he said. "This community that has been waiting patiently for a facility that reflects its wairua, its mana and future. A new library is saying 'Cannons Creek matters'." The library will be built with modular technology, meaning it will constructed in a factory and transported to the site, and can be added to or enlarged in the future if required. It will also have new computers for the public to use. Originally, $20 million was set aside for a community hub in Cannons Creek in the 2018-38 Long-term Plan, but agreeing to the $4 million proposal and bringing the project forward was supported by Mayor Baker and councillors. The community will be consulted during the design stage of the project.
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Building A Resilient Future For Kāpiti: Annual Plan Adopted And Rates Set For 2025/26 Year
Press Release – Kapiti Coast District Council Work included in the Annual Plan includes important capital projects to upgrade the Paraparaumu wastewater treatment plant and the Waikanae water treatment plant, and building Te Ara Whet, the new library and community hub in Waikanae. Kāpiti Coast District Council has adopted its annual plan and set rates for the coming year, with a focus on sticking to the long-term objective of building a resilient future for the Kāpiti Coast. The Annual Plan 2025/26 is an update to year two of the Long-term Plan 2024/34 (LTP), which outlines the projects and services to be delivered over 10 years. It was adopted by Council at its meeting on 29 May. Work included in the Annual Plan includes important capital projects to upgrade the Paraparaumu wastewater treatment plant and the Waikanae water treatment plant, and building Te Ara Whetū, the new library and community hub in Waikanae. Council is also progressing its financial strategy to reduce debt by a total of $153 million by 2034, building capacity to respond to natural disasters and maximise growth opportunities. To do the mahi (work) outlined in the plan and reduce Council's debt levels, rates revenue will rise by 6.9 percent after growth for the year – within the 7 percent limit set in the LTP. Kāpiti Coast District Mayor Janet Holborow says the Annual Plan sets Kāpiti up for future challenges. 'We've stuck to what we agreed with the community last year, with some minor amendments made to accommodate rising costs,' Mayor Holborow says. 'Everything we're doing is about making sure Kāpiti is well-placed for whatever the future brings, because based on our recent experience and the predictions we can draw from we know there will be unexpected challenges ahead. 'This is why we're continuing to invest in our core water infrastructure, which is among the best in New Zealand, and our other essential services. 'It's why we're reducing our debt, so that we can respond to potential natural disasters and growth opportunities strongly. 'We're also balancing this future focus with the current pressures we all face – no one wants to see high rates rises. 'We have worked hard to find significant operational savings, so we can keep rates as affordable as we can.' Mayor Holborow says the bulk of Council's rates-funded operational spending for the year ($114m) will be on core services like water management, roading and transport, and pools, parks and playgrounds. 'We'll be spending $34.1m of ratepayer money on our wastewater, storm water and drinking water services, $17m on our transport network, and $10.1m on our parks and open spaces. 'These and our other services all play important parts in making Kāpiti such a great place to live and do business in, and it's important we make sure we continue to invest in what we've got.' The final 2025/26 Annual Plan will be available to read at in the coming days. Fees and charges adopted At the same meeting Council also adopted the fees and charges used to cover some of the costs of facilities and services for the 2025/26 year. Most fees and charges increases have been held at the 3.2 percent inflation factor used by local government. There are some exceptions where fees and charges have risen. These include: Building Consent Fees: Fees for code compliance certificates and some LIMs will go up. Online consent application fees will also increase due to changes by our online system vendor. Domestic Food Business Levy: A new levy set by MPI will be introduced. The Council will charge a small fee to cover the cost of collecting this revenue for the Government. Hall Hire Fees: These will increase by 10% to cover higher costs. Learn to Swim Programme: Minor changes include more convenient payment options, flexibility for school participation, and a small regular charge for students to access the pool outside of lessons. Access and Transport: Corridor access request fees for project works will increase beyond inflation to cover higher costs. Wastewater Fees: Septage disposal and trade waste discharge fees will rise beyond inflation. A new fee for wastewater connection inspections will be introduced. Potable Water Fees: Adjustments will be made to fees for water meter special readings, filling point access cards, and water volume charges at Council filling points. Waikanae Pop-up Fees: New fees will be established to help cover the costs of the Waikanae Pop-up for start-up businesses in the short term. The full register of proposed fees and charges can be found at
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Building A Resilient Future For Kāpiti: Annual Plan Adopted And Rates Set For 2025/26 Year
Kāpiti Coast District Council has adopted its annual plan and set rates for the coming year, with a focus on sticking to the long-term objective of building a resilient future for the Kāpiti Coast. The Annual Plan 2025/26 is an update to year two of the Long-term Plan 2024/34 (LTP), which outlines the projects and services to be delivered over 10 years. It was adopted by Council at its meeting on 29 May. Work included in the Annual Plan includes important capital projects to upgrade the Paraparaumu wastewater treatment plant and the Waikanae water treatment plant, and building Te Ara Whetū, the new library and community hub in Waikanae. Council is also progressing its financial strategy to reduce debt by a total of $153 million by 2034, building capacity to respond to natural disasters and maximise growth opportunities. To do the mahi (work) outlined in the plan and reduce Council's debt levels, rates revenue will rise by 6.9 percent after growth for the year – within the 7 percent limit set in the LTP. Kāpiti Coast District Mayor Janet Holborow says the Annual Plan sets Kāpiti up for future challenges. 'We've stuck to what we agreed with the community last year, with some minor amendments made to accommodate rising costs,' Mayor Holborow says. 'Everything we're doing is about making sure Kāpiti is well-placed for whatever the future brings, because based on our recent experience and the predictions we can draw from we know there will be unexpected challenges ahead. 'This is why we're continuing to invest in our core water infrastructure, which is among the best in New Zealand, and our other essential services. 'It's why we're reducing our debt, so that we can respond to potential natural disasters and growth opportunities strongly. 'We're also balancing this future focus with the current pressures we all face – no one wants to see high rates rises. 'We have worked hard to find significant operational savings, so we can keep rates as affordable as we can.' Mayor Holborow says the bulk of Council's rates-funded operational spending for the year ($114m) will be on core services like water management, roading and transport, and pools, parks and playgrounds. 'We'll be spending $34.1m of ratepayer money on our wastewater, storm water and drinking water services, $17m on our transport network, and $10.1m on our parks and open spaces. 'These and our other services all play important parts in making Kāpiti such a great place to live and do business in, and it's important we make sure we continue to invest in what we've got.' The final 2025/26 Annual Plan will be available to read at in the coming days. Fees and charges adopted At the same meeting Council also adopted the fees and charges used to cover some of the costs of facilities and services for the 2025/26 year. Most fees and charges increases have been held at the 3.2 percent inflation factor used by local government. There are some exceptions where fees and charges have risen. These include: Building Consent Fees: Fees for code compliance certificates and some LIMs will go up. Online consent application fees will also increase due to changes by our online system vendor. Domestic Food Business Levy: A new levy set by MPI will be introduced. The Council will charge a small fee to cover the cost of collecting this revenue for the Government. Hall Hire Fees: These will increase by 10% to cover higher costs. Learn to Swim Programme: Minor changes include more convenient payment options, flexibility for school participation, and a small regular charge for students to access the pool outside of lessons. Access and Transport: Corridor access request fees for project works will increase beyond inflation to cover higher costs. Wastewater Fees: Septage disposal and trade waste discharge fees will rise beyond inflation. A new fee for wastewater connection inspections will be introduced. Potable Water Fees: Adjustments will be made to fees for water meter special readings, filling point access cards, and water volume charges at Council filling points. Waikanae Pop-up Fees: New fees will be established to help cover the costs of the Waikanae Pop-up for start-up businesses in the short term. The full register of proposed fees and charges can be found at
Scoop
16-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
3715 Submissions Received Ahead Of 22 May City Council Votes
Press Release – Wellington City Council Along with the submissions, close to 175 people, groups and organisations spoke at an oral hearing. The Council also surveyed a representative sample of 500 residents reflecting the demographic characteristics of Wellington. More than 3000 submissions regarding water, insurance, investment, project spending, rates, fees and other charges were received by Wellington City Council during consultations last month. The Council consulted on an amendment to the 2024-34 Long-term Plan, the Annual Plan and necessary water reform under Local Water Done Well legislation between 20 March and 21 April. In total, 3002 submissions were received on the amendment and the Annual Plan, while 713 came in about Local Water Done Well reform. Along with the submissions, close to 175 people, groups and organisations spoke at an oral hearing. The Council also surveyed a representative sample of 500 residents reflecting the demographic characteristics of Wellington. When it came to water reform, 72 percent of submissions and 82 percent of survey participants supported the Council's preferred options of a multi-council-owned water organisation. The most important factors cited for the delivery model were value for money and legal compliance. Regarding the Long-term Plan amendment, over a third of respondents to both the consultation and the survey supported the preferred option of creating large debt headroom by making changes to capital spending valued at $385 million and establishing a small $68m investment fund using proceeds from the sale of nine ground leases. Close to a quarter of respondents backed an alternative option of balancing borrowing and investing by reducing capital spending by $200 million and creating a medium-sized investment fund of up to $314 million. Most of these responses indicated their preference for establishing the fund was a partial sale of the Council's airports shares plus the sale of nine ground leases. There was a high level of interest in the proposed changes to capital projects aimed at reducing spending. Sixty one percent of consultation submissions supported the preferred Council option of increasing the Begonia House project budget by $2.9 million to do the minimum amount of work for it to continue operation. Half of the survey respondents indicated the same. Nineteen percent of submissions supported the Council's preferred option of selling the Karori Events Centre in its current state, while 41 percent said repairs should be done to achieve compliance. Forty-six percent of survey respondents said the site should be sold as is, while 24 percent backed the option to do repairs for compliance, which would increase the related budget by $1.3 million. A quarter of submissions supported the Council's preferred option to rephase the Paneke Pōneke bike network over 20 years rather than 10, while 34 percent said only projects that are approved or under construction should be finished. Thirty-six percent of survey respondents backed a rephasing of the network while 32 percent supported finishing what was started, approved or under construction. For the Annual Plan, 60 percent of submissions supported the Council partnering with Taranaki Whānui to manage the Matai Moana reserve, with 27 opposing joint management. Sixty-four percent of survey respondents supported the partnership arrangement around Matai Moana while 22 percent did not. (Four to 5 percent in both platforms didn't like either option). A large majority of submitters and respondents supported Council proposals to change the current policy around short-term accommodation providers. Sixty-six percent of submissions backed clearer guidelines around charging commercial rates to such providers with 20 percent against the move. Seventy-one percent of survey respondents also supported the move, with 13 percent against. Support for the overall budget, which would result in an average rates increase of 12 percent in 2025/26 (including the 1.4 percent sludge levy), was mixed. Thirty-eight percent of submissions supported the budget, and the same percentage of people opposed it; while 40 percent of survey respondents supported the budget and 30 percent opposed it. Deliberations on the Long-term Plan Amendment, Annual Plan and Local Water Done Well water reform will take place at the Long-term Plan, Finance and Performance Committee meeting on Thursday 22 May. The final amendment and Annual Plan are scheduled to be adopted by Council on Thursday 26 June.
