Rates hike for Ruapehu

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 643, 2 July 1996, Page 1

Rates hike for Ruapehu

Ruapehu rates rise overall by 5.7 per cent for the 1996/97 year, with slightly over $0.5 millionneeded to cover the Ruapehu District Councii annual plan. Councillors adopted the annual plan last Friday after hearing submissions on a wide range of subjects. General rates fall by 9.47 per cent across the board, offset by increased or new user charges for water, sewerage or refuse services and, in some cases, increased separate ward rates. The way the increases fall generally impact on urban ratepayers with most rural property owners facing smaller increases. An exception is Owhango where properties in both urban and rural areas face large increases mainly due to increased costs associated with their water treatment plant. Owhango properties face increases of between seven per cent and 16 per cent. A Raetihi urban property worth $8000 in land

value (LV) will attract rates of $80 more (up 11%), while a rural ratepayer, $105,000LV, will pay $35 (+2.4%) more. The urban rates rise largely reflects an increase in water and refuse charges and the new dump maintenance charge ($52 for each and every ratepayer, rural and urban). A ratepayer in the rural Ohakune area with a $180,000LV will pay $22 (+1%) more, with decreased general rates offset by the new dump charge. An urban property worth $14,000 will be rated $7 1 more (+8.6%), with increases in sewerage and refuse charges and the new dump charge. National Park urban ratepayers face a 1 5% rates hike (up $ 146 to $ 1 1 20) on a $1 2,000LV property. Increases in water, sewerage, refuse, separate ward rate and the new dump charge are responsible. The sewerage charge is increased due to the subsidy provided by other Ruapehu ratepayers being reduced. In recent years all Ruapehu properties

were rated an extra $15 each to help ease the burden National Park ratepayers faced in paying off loans for sewerage and water service systems. A National Park rural ratepayer with a $345,000LV will pay $185 more (+5%), thanks to an increased ward rate. Taumarunui urban ratepayers face a $1042 bill on a $10,800LV property, up 5.8%, while a rural property, $220,000LV, will pay $54 more (+2%). Going against the trend, Waiouru ratepayers enjoy a holiday from any increases. For example an urban property worth $ 1 4,500LV will pay about $11, or 1.5%, less than last year while a rural property worth $590,000LV will pay $525 (-6.8%) less. Changes to the annual plan prompted by submissions included provision in the general rate for $2500 for the Pipiriki boat ramp; $12,000 for Civil Defence; $1 1 ,000 to pipe the Shannon Street,

Ohakune drain; $13,000 to upgrade the Waiouru public toilets; $8000 for a by-election. Waimarino' s separate ward rate was increased by $16,000 to accommodate repairs to the Cornelius bridge, and the Ohakune Sewerage Rate is up by $400,000 to allow for increases in the cost of the sewerage treatment oxidation ponds. Due to delays in starting the Whakapapa Iwikau Sewerage Scheme $304,000 less is needed this year. Also cut from the budget was $60,000 for the councii' s shaire of the Pipiriki information centre. An expected reduction of revenue by way of the dividend from Ruapehu Construction Limited, down by $75,000 to $300,000 for the year, was also included. Repairs to the Karioi Domain Road bridge, to cost around $25 ,000, were included in the councii' s subsidised roading programme.