A petition to keep the next rates rise capped at 3 percent, was presented at Wednesday's South Wairarapa District Council meeting. Photo: LDR / Supplied
Just over 1000 South Wairarapa residents and ratepayers have signed a petition urging the council to cap next year's rates rise at 3 percent.
It followed a cumulative average rates rise of almost 90 percent since 2021 in the district.
Petition organiser Leah Hawkins told councillors at Wednesday's meeting that those who signed were "deeply concerned about the financial pressure these rates increases have put on households and businesses".
Hawkins was initially told she had not given enough warning under the council rules to present the petition on Wednesday and that mayor Martin Connelly had instructed the petition be presented on 19 February instead.
On Tuesday, Local Democracy Reporting sent a media request to the mayor asking if he believed the council would still have time to consider the petition and potentially act upon it for the 2025-26 year if it was received on 19 February, given the council was already developing its 2025-34 Long-Term Plan.
Although no response was received, Hawkins was subsequently told she would be able to present the petition at Wednesday's meeting.
Hawkins said although 1020 residents and ratepayers had signed the petition, even more supported its intention but did not see the point in signing.
"Apathy was generated from the belief that we can't create change as stakeholders of our council," she said.
"There was a level of, 'what's the point?'."
The petition asked the council to cap the 2025/26 rate increase at 3 percent, adopt responsible financial management practices, and to protect the community's financial and economic stability.
South Wairarapa District Council was not alone in hiking rates in recent years to deal with decades of underinvestment.
Its most recent rates rise was 14.7 percent, compared with an average proposed rates rise of 15 percent across 48 New Zealand councils affiliated with Local Government New Zealand.
The petition asked council to review its operations and maintain total operating expenditure for next year "at or close to" this year's levels.
It also asked council to prioritise essential capital projects in the water and roading spaces.
"We understand that a significant amount of money needs to be invested in our infrastructure, however, the reality is the ratepayer and our small district cannot sustainably achieve this in the time-frame that you may set out to do so," Hawkins said.
Councillor Colin Olds said it "really has been a catchup game", over-correcting decades of low rates and underinvestment in infrastructure.
"We're probably getting to the peak where we are getting this infrastructure renewed and I know it has certainly been a burden on our community in terms of the rating demands," he said.
"What would the appetite be from our community if we were to reduce the level of service, or not do the work that was expected of us?"
In the public forum, several community members spoke in support of the rates cap, prudent spending, and effective consultation.
Following this, councillor Aidan Ellims moved that the council's Standing Orders be lifted temporarily to discuss the petition.
This was unanimously supported.
Ellims said elected members and staff had been working on the Long-Term Plan for the past few months and still had more work to do.
He asked that Hawkins and other members of the community be involved in future Long-Term Plan workshops.
This suggestion was also well-received and plans were made to involve them in the 4 December workshop.
Councillors were challenged to sign to petition, binding them to fulfilling the requests in it, but this was not advised as it was seen as predetermination which could exclude councillors from voting on the plan.
Council chief executive Janice Smith said while the council had heard the call from the community to cap rates at 3 percent, reflecting the consumer price index, "we are very aware that local government and CPI have very different drivers".
"But I acknowledge what the speaker says in terms of how it's [rates rises] affecting the public with the cost of living crisis."
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
