1 Key dates you should know Submission period: 21 March to 23 April 2014 Hearing of Submissions: 28 and 29 May 2014 2 Summary of the 2013/14 Draft Annual Plan Mayors Message Introduction On behalf of the Councillors and staff of the Hauraki District Council, I am pleased to introduce the Draft 2014/15 Annual Plan which details the activities, services and programmes planned for year three of the Council’s 2012-22 Hauraki Long Term Plan (HLTP). The purpose of the Draft 2014/15 Annual Plan is to inform you of any proposed changes to the programmes and services for the 2014/15 year that are different from those adopted for the 2014/15 year in the 2012-22 Hauraki Long Term Plan. Council Elections In the October 2013 Council elections two new Councillors were elected to represent the District; Pam Keall and Don Swales. I welcome them onto the Council team and look forward to working with them over the coming term. John Tregidga, JP, MNZM Mayor Hauraki District The role of the Mayor was recently amended and extended in the Local Government Act, 2002. The Mayor’s role is now defined as providing leadership to: “Communities need to The other members of the Council. The people in the District. get involved and find out what’s happening The Mayor also now appoints the Deputy Mayor, develops the committee structure and appoints the chairpersons of those district-wide and in their committees. Following the 2013 elections I have made some changes local areas. This is your to the Council’s committee structure; for further information on the new structure see the full Draft Annual Plan. opportunity to speak up about the things that Progress on Key Capital Works I am very pleased to report that major progress has been made with a affect you”. number of key projects for the District over the last year; in particular: The new Waihi Library and Service Centre has been completed and the opening was held on 21 March 2014. The Kerepehi water treatment plant upgrade has been completed and is fully operational. Contents Council is currently commissioning the Quarry raw water storage facility in Steen Road which provides raw water storage for the 2014/15 Fees and Charges 4 Waitakaruru water treatment plant for the summer supply of water. Proposed Schedule of Detailed design work has been completed for the Paeroa and Amendments 4 Waihi water treatment plant upgrades; these are programmed for completion January 2015. Key Community Issues 5 The resource consents for the use of the Ohinemuri River as an Key projects in your alternative water supply source for the Waihi water supply have community 9 been granted. Focus on the Paeroa Ward 9 The completion of the Waihi to Waikino section of the Hauraki Rail Trail. Focus on the Plains Ward 10 Focus on the Waihi Ward 11 Tetley’s Quarry District-wide projects in The Council has, for more than 40 years, operated a commercial 2014/15 12 quarry at Steen Road, Waitakaruru which has supplied the District with metal for roading and other projects. Due to the current economic Prospective Financial conditions the quarry has become less competitive to operate and the Statements 14 Council has decided to cease quarrying on the site for now. However, The consultation process 16 there are significant reserves of good quality rock remaining available for quarrying at some time in the future, should this again become a viable activity. As a result the decision to close and rehabilitate the quarry will be considered in the future. The existing quarry pit has now been utilised as part of the Plains Water Supply for raw water storage to provide backup to the Plains supply; particularly over the drier summer months. 3 Local Government Act – Changes for Local Rates Government This Plan shows a total rate increase (excluding water) The Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2012 for the 2014/15 year of 3.56%. (The HLTP 2014/15 and the proposed Local Government Act 2002 Bill forecast increase was 4.51%). Water charges are (No.3) have been introduced, and they propose to programmed to rise by 3.2% for the 2014/15 year (the introduce a number of new requirements on councils. HLTP 2014/15 forecast increase for water was 6.0%). Some amendments that will have implications in the This outcome is the result of a significant amount of work 2014/15 year include the need to: develop a 30 year undertaken to keep rating levels as low as possible given Infrastructure Strategy; review the Assessment of that: Water and Sanitary Services; develop a Significance In arriving at the rating figure the Council has tried to and Engagement Policy; review the Development strike a balance between the costs (particularly Contributions Policy, meet the new requirements for interest charges) for developing new infrastructure financial reporting; and meet the new consultation and (particularly water) and the ability for the works to be publishing requirements for the upcoming 2015-25 sustainably funded into the future. Hauraki Long Term Plan. The Council has also tried to ensure the services it provides are meeting the service level needs of the Economic Development community in an affordable, prudent and sustainable As consulted on in the 2013/14 Annual Plan the Council manner. has taken a much more proactive approach to developing economic development opportunities. We For comparison with the debt and rate caps for 2014/15 have revised our Economic Development Strategy after contained in Council’s Financial Strategy please see the consultation with the community and have identified five report on the Financial Strategy on page 5 of this priority areas where we will be taking action in order to document. assist with economic development in the District. The public consultation process Within this Plan the Council is consulting on the The Council would like to hear your feedback on the Draft possible development of stage two of the Hauraki Rail 2014/15 Annual Plan. Submissions to the Draft Plan close Trail; the section from Kaiaua to Kopu. The total at 4.30pm on Wednesday, 23 April 2014 and the estimated cost of stage two is $4m. The Hauraki and submission process is detailed on page 16 of this Thames-Coromandel District Councils have committed Summary. $1m each, dependant on the Hauraki Rail Trail Trust raising the remaining $2m from external agencies. A full copy of the Draft 2014/15 Annual Plan is available at the Council’s service centres and libraries in Paeroa, Although not being consulted on at this stage, the Ngatea and Waihi. The document is also available on the Council is currently investigating and assessing a Council’s website www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz proposal to develop a “Food Hub” approach on the industrial land available at Kerepehi. This would include Final Thoughts the possible development of a wastewater treatment system to cater for food processing and manufacturing In preparing this Plan the Council has kept the level of its industries that would add value to some of the District’s services, activities and programmes under constant primary production. This matter may involve an review to ensure its programmed expenditure is amendment to the 2012-22 Hauraki Long Term Plan. necessary, well controlled and sustainable. Council would Council will be consulting separately on this matter if it like to thank you for taking the time to read this summary wishes to proceed with it. of our Draft Annual Plan and assisting in its development through the consultation process. We look forward to Fees and Charges working with you in the coming year. In preparing the Draft 2014/15 Annual Plan the Council has reviewed its schedule of Fees and Charges. The Council welcomes feedback on these proposed charges, which are outlined in the full Draft Plan. JP Tregidga, JP, MNZM Mayor 4 Summary of the 2013/14 Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 Fees and Charges Proposed Schedule of Amendments The following provides an overview of the amendments contained in the Fees and Charges Proposed Schedule of Amendments. For details regarding the changes proposed to fees and charges for the 2014/15 year, including rationale for the proposed changes, please see the full Draft 2014/15 Annual Plan document available online at www.hauraki- dc.govt.nz. The amendments being consulted on are in the areas of Corporate Services, Community Services, Regulatory Services and Solid Waste Services. The main changes proposed for the 2014/15 year are: Corporate Services has introduced a new fee for the delivery of electronic information on USB. The District Libraries have increased overdue fees to encourage prompt returns, standardised some charges, and increased other fees to cover costs. District Libraries have also introduced new fees for lost/damaged resources, refunds for lost items returned, debt collection charges, and discarded items for sale. Changes within building and regulatory services reflect actual costs or reallocation of costs. A range of liquor licensing fees have been introduced as legislatively required by the new Sale and Supply of Liquor Act 2012. The Solid Waste Services fees have been increased by the consumer price index (CPI), as per the solid waste contract. The refuse bag charge has also increased from $2.10 to $2.20. The consultation period for the Fees and Charges Proposed Schedule of Amendments is in line with the Draft Annual Plan, so if you would like to provide feedback on the proposed fees and charges for 2014/15 or anything in the Draft Annual Plan, make your submission to Council either in writing or online by 4.30pm, 23 April 2014.