Central Otago District Council’s (CODC) Annual Plan goes out for consultation from today and the community is encouraged to have its say.

The draft 2024-2025 Annual Plan draft budgets, consultation document, and supporting information were adopted at the Central Otago District Council meeting in Alexandra this week.  

It will be followed by a month-long public consultation.

Speaking to her report presented to council, Vibhuti Chopra who is leading the development of the draft Annual Plan budgets, spoke about the draft budgets and their preparation under conditions of high inflationary pressure in the economy, substantial regulatory change and increasing sustainability and resilience needs in CODC’s operating environment.

Councillors discussed these pressures and the ever-changing Three Waters landscape and expressed their concern knowing the cost-of-living pressures facing our community. 

They also acknowledged that there was apparently no way around the level of increase as the majority of it was in relation to core council services.

The rates increase of an average of 21.4 per cent was obviously far higher than what was anticipated in the 2021-2031 Long-term Plan for a variety of reasons, but primarily because of increased costs to deliver water supply and wastewater systems, roads and bridges and waste management.

At the meeting Mrs Chopra was asked to share her views on the development of this Annual Plan from her experience working with other councils.

“I genuinely believe that the council is in a very good place with strong governance and that the council has genuinely put in a lot of effort to determine what is viable [in the savings in drawing up this year’s Annual Plan]. So, I want to say that the ratepayers of Central Otago can be confident of the rigour their council puts into developing options for the community.”

A range of drop-in sessions will be available for the community to attend on the following dates. IMAGE: Supplied

Mayor Tim Cadogan thanked councillors and council staff for the mahi in finding $10 million in savings to pull the rates rise back as much as they could realistically, without compromising the level of service provided. 

He further stressed the importance of understanding that the proposed 21.4 per cent increase is an average.

“Regrettably, residential property owners are likely to pay more than those who live in rural areas as significant parts of the costs we can’t avoid relate to urban services such as three waters and waste.”

He encouraged ratepayers to make use of the online rates calculator, which would allow them to enter their address to see what the estimated rates increase will be specific to their property.

The rates calculator, along with the consultation document and supporting information, and how to provide feedback can be found at the CODC’s consultation platform Let’s Talk: Let’s Talk Central Otago, when the consultation officially opens on Friday, April 26.

The council will be holding drop-in sessions to give people the opportunity to talk to elected members. 

These drop-in sessions will include an online event, which will be recorded and available to view.