Home > Archives > November 11th 2013 > Your questions Answered - Kaipara Commissioner - John Robertson: Economic growth good for Kaipara
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MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
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Your questions Answered - Kaipara Commissioner - John Robertson: Economic growth good for Kaipara Auckland’s economic growth is beginning to have an impact to the north and south of the city. In the Kaipara District, the impact in Mangawhai especially is positive. Tradesmen are busy, properties are selling, and some retailers report increasing turnover. With the holiday period approaching, this bodes well for the local economy.While property prices may not have returned to the all time high of the boom years five or six years ago, Mangawhai real estate firms report that prices are firming, and sales activity is strong. Council’s building consent figures reveal the same lift in activity. As property development takes place, connections into the Mangawhai wastewater scheme increase, thus helping to spread the capital cost of the scheme over a greater number of properties. This growth in economic activity is good news. The Council offices in Mangawhai have become a busy place over the past few months. The Council has now taken a full ground floor office in the Hub. This office caters for consenting and regulatory matters, and is designed to assist the needs of those associated with building and development. However, it also has a customer services team that can assist you on any Council related matter, so please do not hesitate to call in if you have a question. Kaipara District Plan This month the Council’s new District Plan has become operative. Council has two major planning documents. The first one is the Long Term Plan. This Plan defines the activities that the Council will engage in. It lays out the financial forecasts and rating levels that support such a Plan. This Plan was adopted in June, and covers the period through to 30 June 2022. The Plan forecasts that rates can be held at current levels adjusted for inflation. It forecasts that Council debt will drop from $80 million to $50 million over this period. The second major planning document is the District Plan. This Plan defines the rules for development and building in the District. Kaipara’s Plan has been in the making for some five years. The road to finalise a District Plan is costly, complex and difficult. Commissioners approved the District Plan at Council’s meeting in October. We also asked the Council staff to review some issues that seem unhelpful that have been brought to our attention. These include a rule that prevents reversing out onto a road from a section, and a rule that requires water holding tanks in unreticulated areas. Putting the record straight From the last set of letters to the Editor I cannot leave unchallenged a statement by Mr Bruce Rogan. He implies that the Kaipara Bill before Parliament will remove accountability and will make “… all the crimes and misdemeanors associated with the past six years vanish without trace.” The Bill does no such thing. In fact it has a specific clause contained within it to expressly confirm the ability of Council to pursue those who may have breached the law. Neither does the Bill prevent other agencies of the State pursuing such people or businesses. The past history of the Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme is the subject of the Auditor General’s Inquiry. This should identify what went wrong and who is responsible. Nothing in the Bill will “remove” this. Neither can I leave unchallenged an email mass mailed by Mr Rogan recently as he seeks funds from the public for MRRA’s Court case against the Council. This email contains a number of incorrect statements. In particular he is claiming that if MRRA lose the case “your rates could easily double next year” and that “the Commissioners have indicated that rates increases are going to be drastic for some time to come”. Neither statement is true. Rate revenues are forecasted through to 2022 in Council’s Long Term Plan. These forecasts indicate that rates will change little other than to cover cost increases driven by inflation. |
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