I received a letter (1) today from Bruce Gordon, Chairperson at Horizons. The letter was in response to a submission to the Long-term Plan.
They intend to put $110,000 towards the Capital Connection train service in Year 1, so that’s good news for those who want us to have a decent train service.
They also intend to increase rates.
About the Waikawa Stream and erosion at the beach, the news is more muted. Read on for the detail and for photos from the letter.
1: Have these people never heard of email?
Freshwater and Partnerships: Thank you for your submission supporting the continued funding of our Freshwater and Partnerships Programmes including the ManawatΕ« Rivers Leaders Accord. Horizons supports the approach of continuing to work together around freshwater management. The additional rate funding for the freshwater programme has been adopted by Council as part of the Long-term Plan.
In response to your submission regarding a strategy for cleaning up water at Waikawa Stream and Beach. Horizons has had a strong focus on monitoring and science over recent years in the Waikawa catchment including sampling to identify the sources of the bacteria in the stream. This monitoring and science has been put into action by the Waikawa being a target catchment for our non-regulatory fencing and planting programme. The catchment is also a target catchment for the One Plan with intensive farms being required to have resource consents. In partnership with other organisations, we currently have an application with central government for further funding to undertake water quality improvement works and are awaiting a decision on this. If you would like to learn more about the work in the Waikawa catchment we would encourage you to contact the Freshwater and Partnerships team at Horizons.
Waikawa Beach: Horizonsβ River Management staff have been, and will continue to work with Horowhenua District Council (HDC) staff on matters relating to the lower reach and south of the Waikawa Stream. Beach access is the domain of the HDC, affirmed by HDC staff. Horizons, through the Ohau-Manakau Scheme, currently has a limited mandate for operational activity along the lower reach of the Waikawa Stream. We have planned to review this scheme and how it is funded at a relatively early stage of our Long-term Plan, as advised to the Waikawa Beach Residents Association.
And about the Rates:
As a result of these resolutions rates for Year 1 will be increasing by approximately 7.04 per cent across the region, for Year 2 they will be 4.72 per cent and 2.94 per cent or around the rate of local government (BERL) inflation plus 2 per cent for Year 3. Please keep in mind these rates are only an average and the rate impact will differ from district to district due to factors such as changes to property values, and specific rating inputs such as river schemes and urban passenger transport rates for certain areas.
