Te Pae Tawhiti 2024-2034
The Long-Term Plan 2024-34 -Tō Wāhi, Tō Mahere: Your Place, Your Plan (LTP) sets out what the Council has planned from 2024-34, why we plan to do it, how much it will cost, and how we intend to pay for it.
The Council adopted the 2024-34 LTP at it meeting on 26 June 2024.
The Big Decisions
Councillors voted to demolish the Town Hall and Municipal Buildings, including the façade, and build a new Town Hall on the current site, with a total budget of no more than $25 million.
The Council’s Waiata House office will be expanded, at a cost of $8.7 million, to accommodate Civil Defence, customer services, a Council Chamber, public meeting rooms and a lab for use by environmental services staff.
Other decisions during deliberations included:
Infrastructure
Planned expenditure on roading and water infrastructure for the next 10 years is:
- Roading - $159.9m capital budget and $235.2m operating budget
- Footpaths - $7.4 million operating budget
- Water Supply – $51.2m capital and $83.6m operating
- Wastewater – $30.9m capital and $92.0m operating
- Stormwater – $12.2m capital and $16.2m operating
Library and Archive
In-line with the Council’s preferred option in the LTP, to upgrade and expand the library at a cost of $10.75 million and consider in future a further extension to include the Archive.
Town centre improvements
Councillors decided to progress the preferred option to complete essential work to improve water and roading infrastructure in the Town Centre, with no other improvements to Queen Street.
Changes to services
The following decisions were made on funding of services:
- Reduce Wairarapa Economic Development Strategy (WEDS) funding by 20 per cent compared to 2023/24 - $80,000 compared to $100,000, saving $20,000.
- Cease funding for regional Walking and Cycling facilitation ($35,000 per year).
- Continue funding for regional Positive Ageing facilitation ($40,500 per year).
- Seek further external funding for Welcoming Communities facilitation beyond 2025 when current funding expires.
- Increase the Community-Led Climate Initiatives Fund to $100,000, from $50,000, rather than funding climate activation facilitation beyond April 2026 when external funding ceases.
Changes to Council funding and funding requests
The alternative option in the LTP was agreed, maintain existing funding arrangements, with $85,000 through annual general contestable applications, and $316,300 available through the Long Term Plan submissions process.
