Decisions Confirmed On Water Model And City Budget
The Annual Plan for the 2025/26 year was agreed, with an average rates increase of 6.39 per cent, significantly lower than previously budgeted.
When preparing the draft Annual Plan, the starting point for this year's rates increases had hit 15 per cent, due to cost pressures.
Council acknowledged this wasn't sustainable for households and businesses, so took a hard look at internal operations to find cost savings. This brought the new starting point for the average rates increase down to 6.75 per cent.
After public consultation on five options to further lower the increase, Council agreed to discontinue the Chamber of Commerce grant and increase Council's building consent hourly rate.
They voted against increasing the paid parking hourly rate, putting up Cannons Creek Pool entry fees, and discontinuing the Event Investment Programme.
With these changes, the average rates increase for residential properties will be 6.39 per cent. For most properties, this equates to around $6 or $7 extra per week.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said while nobody wanted to see rates go up, she was confident that the Council had done everything possible to keep increases as low as possible.
"We know the community is struggling, which is we have done a deep dive internally and made significant cuts, that got us to a lower number than planned. We could have done further cuts, but we listened to your feedback and were guided by that."
Water Services preferred delivery model
Council also agreed to the committee recommendation of 5 June to jointly establish and co-own a new water organisation with Upper Hutt City Council, Hutt City Council, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Mayor Baker said this was another milestone decision for Porirua as we continue to progress towards implementing the Local Water Done Well Policy.
"Public consultation undertaken in March and April strongly supported a jointly owned water organisation, and this decision today enables Porirua to continue working with our neighbouring Council towards the stand up of the water company in 2026."
Council also agreed today to delegate Mayor Baker and Councillor Ross Leggett, as her alternate, (as the Council's representative on the Advisory Oversight Group) the power to make decisions on two establishment activities.
This delegation will enable the next phases of work to continue during the new company's establishment phase. It will remain in place until later in the year when a new shareholders committee will be set up and will take over the governance level decision making.
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