30 January 2009 - Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws today said that the Wanganui district council was expected to finalise its draft Ten Year Plan 2009-19 this coming Monday, "and that a vital part of the public consultation will be to give Wanganui residents the option of low, medium or higher rates rises. It is the first such choice to be presented to ratepayers in New Zealand, and it may well be an international first as well.""

The council has been holding a series of workshops to set the spending and financial priorities for the council and district over the next ten years. That process is expected to conclude this coming Monday, 2 February with the draft plan to be ratified at a subsequent Council meeting.

"The draft plan will present three different rating scenarios for 2009/10.

A low option of 2-3% rates increase - a medium option of a 4-5% rates increase - and a slightly higher option of 7-8%. In each option, we will make it clear what projects or council services are included, and which are excluded or council services reduced."

The council unanimously endorsed holding 'Referendum '09' to provide some basic Yes/No choices around council services, and to determine the preferred low/medium/high rating options. [see Council agenda for 2 February meeting].

"It is the first time that any council has said - here are the options. Now you choose which best suits your household and your community. This way we get the input of 16,000- 17,000 people to guide our decision - not just the usual hundred or so submissions. It is a national first and, I suspect, it is also an international first.

"We are making the linkage between rates and council service direct. Less money sees some services reduced and some projects chopped. More rates money obviously delivers higher quality services and more community projects."

Mayor Laws said that the limiting factors to holding rates lower "remain the $120 million wastewater separation project, and the council's nil returns from our Wanganui Gas and forestry investments. Both continue to act as millstones around our neck. In addition, council's inflation is running at about 5%-6% - much higher than the CPI."

Later this month, Council will release its draft Ten Year financial figures and projections, including likely rate increases over the next ten years and future debt levels.

" They certainly won't match the scare stories published last year. I think Wanganui people will be favourably impressed."