The regional council expects, for most Taranaki ratepayers, the financial impact will be measured in tens of dollars over the course of a year. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Taranaki Regional Council is hiking rates 16.3 percent in the first year of its long-term plan as well as a clawback on its Zero Possum Project.
Chairperson Charlotte Littlewood said the 10-year budget would allow new investment to safeguard the region's biodiversity, deliver freshwater improvements and address climate change.
"We're looking to the future with this plan and how we can address the many challenges our amazing region is facing.
"There's funding for our key environmental work programmes to ensure we build on the council's freshwater and biodiversity mahi and we've responded to our community's feedback on responding to the threat from climate change."
The plan included an overall rates increase of 16.3 percent for 2024/2025, Littlewood said.
"While in percentage terms this is higher than previous years, for most Taranaki ratepayers the financial impact will be measured in tens of dollars over the course of a year."
The overall rates rise for year two of the plan was 13.23 percent and was 10.19 percent in the third year.
The regional council launched Towards Predator-Free Taranaki in 2018, with an ambitious goal of eliminating possums between Oakura River and Timaru Stream.
A Zero Possum zone was extended to the Hangatāhua (Stony) River in 2023, with the help $2.5 million in government funding, taking the total area to 9500 hectares.
As part of the long-term plan, Rural Predator Control funding would continue but with no expansion of the areas covered, while management of the Zero Possum Project would revert to keeping possums at very low levels.
"While the option to revert to keeping possums at very low levels was adopted, the Zero Possum project will continue for 18 months using reserves from Towards Predator-Free Taranaki funding with a decision by the government on Predator Free 2050 funding expected during that time," Littlewood said.
The 10-year plan included $4.04m in additional funding for freshwater monitoring and developing a new Land and Freshwater Plan, $915,000 for improving climate science, $440,000 for the council to co-ordinate biodiversity work across the region and $540,000 to improve resource management by creating a spatial plan to guide development.
The council received 340 public submissions, with many people choosing to speak at public hearings last week.
"This feedback was vital to shaping a plan we can be proud of and which we hope will make a tangible difference to our communities and improve how we care for Taranaki and our environment," Littlewood said.
The regional council sought feedback on six key issues in March and April. The options adopted by the council were:
- Resource management: Create a regional spatial plan to guide development across all Taranaki and drive better alignment with the region's four councils.
- Freshwater: Implementing the new regime with a focus on core activities to improve freshwater management in the region.
- Climate change: Focus on improving climate science and reducing the council's emissions.
- Possum control: Maintain the existing self-help programme while exploring bringing control in-house.
- Indigenous biodiversity: Taking a strong role coordinating biodiversity across the region by undertaking work such as the review of the Taranaki Biodiversity Strategy.
The LTP would become active on 1 July.
