Key public consultations underway
Masterton District Council has today begun public consultation to inform:
the 2023/24 Annual Plan that will determine rates for the 2023/24 year
options for the 2024-34 Long-Term Plan that will be consulted on next year
a draft Speed Management Plan that will see changes to speeds on roads around the district.
The Annual Plan consultation document outlines Council’s proposed approach to reduce the rates impact in 2023/24.
This includes:
Increasing user pays funding for some services – increasing fees and charges would mean less rates funding is required for these services - a new fees for disposing of e-waste are also proposed.
Helping community groups to identify alternative funding opportunities – this would mean the Council could reduce community funding for the year.
Seeking external funding to deliver projects, activities and events for our community – this could include Waitangi Day and Christmas celebrations.
The consultation is also inviting comment on whether Masterton should apply to become a Dark Sky Reserve and contribute to the Five Towns Cycle Trail Project, which would build a network of cycle trails across the Wairarapa connecting the five towns in our region. Costs are outlined in the consultation document.
It also offers an opportunity to help shape the 2024-34 Long-Term Plan (LTP), which will be put together over the coming 12 months and will be consulted on in early 2024.
For the LTP, people can share their thoughts on a reduced scope for the Civic Facility project, and give their views on services where savings could be made, and any services where they would be willing to pay more to see improvements.
Masterton Mayor Gary Caffell urged people to make their views known.
“The Annual Plan sets out what the Council will do for the coming year, and what it will cost, and that cost is what determines what the rates will be.
“We have worked hard to find ways to reduce the proposed rates increase to an average of 7.9 per cent, and now we want to hear from our community about what they think of our ideas for keeping our costs as low as possible.”
The Mayor said the current consultation also offered the opportunity to look further ahead.
“Next year we will be updating our Long-Term Plan and we are asking now for views on the Civic Facility project.”
“It’s also a chance for people to give us their ideas on different ways the Council could operate to keep costs down.”
The draft Speed Management Plan is aimed at reducing speeds around schools, marae, and on high-risk roads that the Council is responsible for.
Road Controlling Agencies, of which Masterton District Council is one, are now required by the Government to take a whole-of-network approach to speed management.
This includes developing speed management plans that outline a 10-year vision and a three-year implementation plan for their networks.
The Speed Management Plan for the Masterton District will help us transition from the way we have set speed limits in the past to a more flexible approach that better takes into account local conditions and the surrounding environment.
Our Consultation Draft Speed Management Plan Statement of Proposal sets out the principles of our Speed Management Plan, which has a focus on reducing speeds around schools and marae, and on high-risk roads.
People are able to comment on the approach being proposed, as well as suggesting other roads where speeds should be reduced.
