WAG - Flood Protection Rate Hike Victory

John & Evelyn Boon from Waiohine Action Group

on behalf of WAG,

You just saved yourselves hundreds, probably thousands of dollars and helped other Wairarapa people, businesses and farms survive and get by. It's a result and proves it's worth getting up and having a go.
We have now received the news from enough different sources to be able to advise that GWRC have scrapped the proposed 70/30 plus plus rates hike for flood protection from the Long Term Plan until at least the next three year review point. The news has been trickling in since Friday but we just wanted to be as sure as we could before popping any champagne corks ;-)
As far as we can tell without seeing the detail in writing, this is almost exactly what we proposed as a way forward at the submissions hearing on Tuesday.
To you all and especially those who made submissions and those who spoke to their submissions at the hearing, give yourself a big pat on the back. Our district councils (Viv was awesome), Our GWRC Councillor Adrienne Staples was awesome too, Sustainable Wairarapa, Wai Voice and others also stood up and were counted. Together we have proven once again, that when we get organised and make ourselves heard, we can make good things happen.
Three years is a heck of a long time in politics and it gives us a chance to understand the costs of some of the Wairarapa flood protection schemes and be well prepared for the next GWRC LTP round and to understand the full gamut of what gets rated at what in GWR and who benefits ;-)

Now lets get this Waiohine FMP finished.