Latest news with #MoanaEllis
Scoop
15-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
How Whanganui Achieved Lowest Rates In The Country
Article – Moana Ellis – Local Democracy Reporter Whanganui's average rates increase of 2.2 percent for the year ahead is the lowest in the country. Whanganui's average rates increase of 2.2 percent for the year ahead is the lowest in the country. Mayor Andrew Tripe says the low figure is the envy of the country and the payoff in a sustained drive to adjust how the council operates. '[It] didn't happen by accident – it's the result of a deliberate strategy to keep costs under control,' Tripe said. 'Many of the savings are structural and will flow through to future years. We expect there will be opportunities to reduce the 2026/27 rates increase as well.' In a survey by Local Democracy Reporting on average rates for 2025/26 throughout the country, Waitomo District Council had the next lowest rates at 2.9 percent, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council was third lowest in the country at 3.0 percent. Five councils – Upper Hutt City, Waipa District, Hamilton City, Hastings District and Clutha District – were looking at jumps of 15-17 percent. The average rates hike is about 8.7 percent, compared with last year's 14 percent. In his first tilt at local government in 2022, Tripe's successful campaign for the mayoralty included driving efficiencies to reduce the rates burden. A six-point plan was developed early in the electoral term to reduce costs and ease reliance on rates. As well as improving efficiency, the plan looked at reducing services, finding alternative funding for projects, identifying non-rates sources of revenue, and growing the population so there were more households to pitch in on rates. 'The plan has taken a while to get some traction, however the benefits of that approach are now starting to show,' Tripe said. The savings drive led to works and services being deferred, scaled back or cut but Tripe said investment in infrastructure had been prioritised. Variations to the long-term plan included Tripe's push to ditch a planned food scrap collection, reducing rates by $1 million or about 1.5 percent, he said. Council restructuring saved $1.2m a year. Deferrals Deferrals included pushing out by a year a $1m grant for Whanganui Surf Lifesaving Service's rescue centre. The project was not at the stage where funding was needed, Tripe said. An $8m of planned spending on an opera house upgrade was delayed to await a business case. The Waitahinga Quarry development project was deferred while the council focused on other projects, and all council vehicle replacements have been deferred for the year. A planned full review of the district plan has also been deferred, saving $700,000. Tripe said the council was no longer required to conduct a full review of the plan following central government's decision to make changes to the Resource Management Act. Non-rates income was expected to increase by almost 20 percent in the year ahead. 'We are expecting higher fee revenue in some activities such as parking and aquatics. 'We have moderated our property renewals budget down for affordability and to ensure we can deliver the planned programme. 'Three waters capital programmes have been moderated to ensure that they are deliverable in the 2025/26 financial year.' The council had also made minor reductions to venues improvement budgets and optimised corporate budgets for items like IT hardware replacements. It was committed to 'investing solidly' in core infrastructure, with more than 80 percent of capital spending earmarked over the next 10 years for the likes of footpaths, roading, and stormwater. There was also an 11 percent increase in infrastructure spending from 2024/25. The council also tightened spending on insurance cover by taking a risk-based approach on property and removing some assets from its insurance schedule. Unbalanced budget The council has forecast an unbalanced budget of $5.5 million for 2025/26 due to increased depreciation costs from inflation and large new assets like the redeveloped Sarjeant Gallery and wastewater treatment plant. 'While we are repaying debt on these long-life assets, we believe it's not fair for current ratepayers to also fund future replacements. Running an unbalanced budget is prudent in the short-term.' Tripe said the council's balance sheet was strong, debt was under control and additional repayments were being made to loans. Asked how these decisions would affect long-term planning, Tripe said the council was looking beyond the short-term and planning for the future. 'We're creating a strategy for Whanganui with five goals: to grow, build for, protect, celebrate and activate Whanganui.' This included plans to establish a standalone entity to improve housing stock and allocating an extra $590,000 toward debt repayment, on top of existing repayments. Paying down debt more quickly would benefit future generations, Tripe said. 'This equates to 0.7 percent of the 2.2 percent average rates increase.' Asked if he was confident the council was investing adequately in the district's future, Tripe said Whanganui was faring well in a difficult national economy. 'We should be excited about our future. Whanganui has a fantastic range of facilities for our community and the council is committed to maintaining these and ensuring that the infrastructure is in place for Whanganui to continue to be a great place to live, work and visit.'
Scoop
31-05-2025
- Scoop
Te Hangāruru Cycle Trail: Key Section In Mountains To Sea Ride Opens In June
Article – Moana Ellis – Local Democracy Reporter Iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuirua is working with the Ruapehu District Council and other stakeholders in the central North Island to build the trail connecting Waimarino (formerly National Park village) to Horopito, and eventually to Pkk. Trail builders are three weeks away from opening the newest section of the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride cycle trail. When complete, the 29.4km Te Hangāruru Cycle Trail will deliver the infamous 'missing link' in a multi-day adventure ride, starting on the volcanic slopes of Mt Ruapehu and ending at the Tasman Sea in Whanganui. Iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuiārua is working with the Ruapehu District Council and other stakeholders in the central North Island to build the trail connecting Waimarino (formerly National Park village) to Horopito, and eventually to Pōkākā. Trail manager Lynley Twyman said construction of this section began in October 2023 and was being built in stages as funding came in. Te Hangāruru will feature boardwalks, 17 bridges and four suspension bridges over a track through subalpine landscape, including podocarp forests. The country's longest suspension bridge, stretching 200 meters across the Makatote River, will be built in a later stage of the project. Earlier this month, teams from Midwest Helicopters, Abseil Access and Impel 2010 installed a 30m suspension bridge over the Mangaturuturu River, and trail builders are working now on completing the approaches. Another 99m suspension bridge will be built over the Manganui-o-te-Ao in the next phase of works, and an underpass under the Main Trunk Line, just north of Pōkākā, is under construction. 'Once complete, this trail will be another jewel for the Ruapehu community and an unforgettable ride or walk for adventurers across Aotearoa,' Twyman said. Ngā Ara Tūhono Charitable Trust, which oversees the trail, is seeking final funding for the last phases of the trail. 'But we're building everything we can now, with the resources we have,' Twyman said. The Trust is chaired by Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe. Members include Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton, Tūpoho iwi representative Chris Kumeroa, Ngāti Rangi's Ngā Waihua o Paerangi pouārahi Helen Leahy, Te Korowai o Wainuiārua chair Aiden Gilbert, Whanganui Māori tourism representative Hayden Potaka, and Whanganui District Council representative Rory Smith. The completed Mountains to Sea trail will offer more than 320km of connected trails, including stretches through two national parks and alongside the Whanganui River. It will become one of the 23 Great Rides of the New Zealand Cycle Trail, Ngā Haerenga. The first 9km of Te Hangāruru – 'a fabulous piece of track' – will open on June 19. The Trust is calling for community volunteers to pitch in from 10am on Sunday, 1 June, to plant 800 locally sourced native trees and shrubs around the Horopito trail head, opposite Horopito Motors (also known as Smash Palace). The planting is part of a rehabilitation project for land that was returned to Te Korowai o Wainuiārua by the Crown earlier this month under treaty settlement. 'It was covered in rubbish and pest plants like gorse, broom and blackberry. It has been cleaned up with care – now it's our turn to give back,' Twyman said. 'This planting is all about rehabilitating the whenua, making sure we're contributing back to the environment and our people. 'The community keeps asking how they can help – this is how. Bring your spade, scissors, boots and lunch, and get stuck in.' Twyman said Te Hangāruru gives riders a front-row seat to 'seriously stunning central plateau scenery'. 'You'll cruise through native forest, alongside relics from early timber milling days, and beautiful farmland.' Towering above the landscape is Hauhungatahi, at 1521 meters one of New Zealand's tallest volcanoes. 'What makes it truly unique is that it's built atop an upfaulted block of ancient mesozoic marine sediment – rock that once sat on the seafloor,' Twyman said. 'The lava that formed Hauhungatahi erupted around 900,000 years ago, making it more than three times as old as Mt Ruapehu.' The completed trail will feature an 18km section of the historic Marton Sash and Door tramway route, built in the 1920s for locomotives to take logs from Waimarino and Ngātokoerua to the town of Marton, south of the plateau.
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Is This The Lowest Rates Rise In The Country? Whanganui Council Holds Firm On 2.2 Percent
Article – Moana Ellis – Local Democracy Reporter The council is holding firm on an increase of 2.2 District Council is sticking to an average rates increase of 2.2 percent following deliberations on its draft Annual Plan. Mayor Andrew Tripe believes it's the lowest rise in the country for the year ahead. The plan for 2025/26 will go before the council in June to be adopted. Tripe said the council has focused on doing the basics well, investing in core infrastructure, and involving the community in decision-making. The big topics thrashed out by the council in this week's deliberations were creating a standalone housing entity to grow housing stock, adopting a new strategy for Whanganui, changes to fees and charges, and increasing loan repayments. In each case, community feedback aligned with the council's preferred options. On Thursday, the council confirmed it would: Continue to consider a standalone housing entity Consider all submissions and feedback to inform any minor changes ahead of adopting the draft Strategy for Whanganui Proceed with proposed changes to fees and charges for the year ahead Pay off an additional $590,000 of debt. Operational budget changes have also been made since the council opened its draft Annual Plan 2025/26 for consultation. This includes water levies set by water services authority Taumata Arowai to recover the cost of regulatory functions. These levies will take effect from 1 July, 2025 and are expected to cost around $16 per household. Tripe said it was 'incredibly frustrating' to receive news of the levies just as the council was about to adopt its budgets for the year ahead. 'It is yet another example of central government shifting costs to local councils and communities – when it should be administered and funded at a national level.' These levies, along with proposed Commerce Commission levies, would be incorporated into the Annual Plan budget for 2025/26 and would affect three waters rates for connected households. To ensure full transparency, the levies would be identified on rates notices. However, they would not increase overall rates due to additional income from other council revenue streams. The Annual Plan will be adopted on 26 June, with the plan taking effect from 1 July.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Budget 2025: Taumarunui Rail Yard Ready For Economic Rebirth
Article – Moana Ellis – Local Democracy Reporter The removal of the last derelict Auckland Transport train carriage from the Taumarunui rail yards clears the way for new economic development opportunities, the Ruapehu district mayor says. Mayor Weston Kirton says it's a turning point for the central North Island town. 'Not only does it address a long-standing concern for the community, but it also opens the door for us to fully explore the economic potential of this strategically important site,' Kirton said. More than 50 scrapped carriages were relocated to Taumarunui in 2016 by Auckland Transport while awaiting sale or repurposing. Kirton, a long-time rail enthusiast and active member of the Taumarunui Rail Action Centre, advocated for the carriages to be reused or re-purposed wherever possible. But they were left to deteriorate, creating an eyesore that frustrated locals and limited the potential use of the rail yard area. 'It was disappointing to see the carriages deteriorate to the point that some had to be scrapped,' he said. 'Their poor condition made removal increasingly difficult and costly, requiring major engineering work to move them by rail, while transport by truck was also prohibitively expensive.' Kirton said the timing of the final removal was useful, coinciding with the Government's Budget 2025 commitment to investing $461 million into the national rail network. The investment would put the spotlight back on regional freight and infrastructure, Kirton said. 'With the new pet food factory in Taumarunui ramping up production, our rail yards could once again play a vital role in enabling efficient, reliable, and low-carbon freight services.' Kirton said the Taumarunui rail yards had historically been central to the district's economy, transporting timber, livestock, and agricultural products. 'There's real potential for them to do so again in a way that supports modern industry and sustainability.' Ruapehu District Council had been working with stakeholders and regional partners such as Accelerate35 to explore how the site could best be used to support long-term economic growth and local employment, Kirton said. 'This is an opportunity for Taumarunui to re-establish itself as a key player in regional logistics and rail-enabled development. Council is keen to hear from any businesses or industry who would like to explore this opportunity.'
Scoop
19-05-2025
- Scoop
Treaty Settlement Renames Iconic Sites In Central North Island
Article – Moana Ellis – Local Democracy Reporter Mountains, a lake and scenic reserves are some of the sites that have been renamed. Tribal place names have been restored for prominent landmarks and places across the central North Island. Eleven name changes to mountains, a lake, scenic reserves and other places have been made following the treaty settlement of iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuiārua. The changes gazetted by Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board include seven new and altered geographic names, including two Crown-protected area names. Four Crown-protected area names have been discontinued. Lake Hawkes, a lake 19km west-northwest of Waimarino, which feeds into Waikauwau Stream, is now Lake Pohoare. Mount Dawson, 24km west-northwest of Waimarino, is now Ōruru Maunga. Tahora, a small site on State Highway 43 Forgotten World Highway, 14km north-northeast of Whangamōmona, is now Tahorapāroa, and Tahora Saddle, a pass on the highway about 10km north-northeast of Whangamōmona, is now Tahorapāroa Saddle. The fifth altered name is Mount Humphries in the Matemateaonga Range, 45km east of Stratford, which becomes Whakaihuwaka Maunga. A new Crown-protected area name has been created. A large scenic reserve extending from immediately west of Waimarino, south to Horopito, has been named Ngātokoerua Scenic Reserve. The reserve has been created through the reclassification of Erua Conservation Area and Erua Forest Sanctuary as a scenic reserve. Another Crown-protected area – a scenic reserve on State Highway 43 Forgotten World Highway, about 15km north-northeast of Whangamōmona – has been changed from Tahora Scenic Reserve to Tahorapāroa Scenic Reserve. The names Erua Forest Sanctuary (for a sanctuary area 6km south-southwest of Waimarino), Ngapakihi Scenic Reserve and Raetihi Scenic Reserve (for scenic reserves immediately south of Raetihi), and Pipiriki Scenic Reserve (for a scenic reserve at Pipiriki) have been discontinued. The Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Act 2025 came into effect in March, bringing an end to decades of claims work by the people of Uenuku, Tamakana and Tamahaki (represented collectively as Te Korowai o Wainuiārua) over breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Geographic Board gazetted the changes last week. In December last year, Land Information Minister Chris Penk approved changing the name of National Park Village to Waimarino, following a request by Te Korowai o Wainuiārua researchers. Waimarino is the original Māori name for the area, referring to 'calm waters' pooling on the plains as they leave the mountain. The Geographic Board considered more than 2000 submissions on the proposal.
