Waimakariri council ‘financially sound’ after challenging year
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The Waimakariri District Council is in ‘‘a financially sound position’’ despite a challenging year, says chief executive Jeff Millward.
Flooding, economic uncertainty and high inflation impacted the council, which still ended the year to June with an operating surplus of $21.7 million.
Councillors adopted the 2022-23 annual report at an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
"We’ve had a fair bit of pressure coming on the budget and other councils are saying the same thing," Millward said.
"By all our performance measures we have done pretty well. Overall it has been a good year."
The operating surplus was $9.7 million less than budgeted due to inflation and developers contributions being less than expected.
Development contributions is what developers pay councils to help with the costs of increased services such as libraries, roads and water infrastructure.
The council also borrowed $8m less than the $188m it had budgeted.
Millward said Audit New Zealand had given its endorsement of the annual report, which took into account the change in government and a potential change in Three Waters policy.
He did not anticipate any immediate impact to the council from the change of government.
"It is very much business as usual until we have [the incoming Government's] 100-day plan to respond to."
National campaigned to reverse a number of reforms for local government, including Three Waters and the Resource Management Act overhaul.
Mayor Dan Gordon said the council was in a strong position but he warned of a challenging year ahead.
"We need to look carefully at our budgets as we go into the Long Term Plan.
"Our neighbours are already talking about significant rate increases unless there are significant cuts to services."
Millward said the council was facing ‘‘significant impacts’’ from climate change as it looked ahead to next year’s 2024-34 long-term plan.
Gordon also thanked staff and volunteers for their efforts in responding to the weekend's damaging winds, which brought down trees and cut power to thousands of homes.
"If we had the Three Waters reforms in place now we wouldn’t have been able to perform as effectively as we did, and that is something we have been concerned about.
"Severe weather events are happening more regularly, and the council is seeking to establish a permanent fund to ensure we have budget to maintain, fix, and improve our stormwater, wastewater and roading networks following extreme weather."
Last month, the council approved a plan to establish an infrastructure resilience team to lead flood recovery efforts.
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There’s growing debate about whether New Zealand’s extended Christmas break (and the slowdown that comes with it) affects productivity.
Tracy Watkins has weighed in ... now it’s your turn. What’s your take? 🤔
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73% We work hard, we deserve a break!
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16% Hmm, maybe?
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11% Yes!
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9.9% No
Secure your homes over summer
Police are reminding people to keep their homes secure during the summer months.
Inspector Glenda Barnaby, Christchurch Area Prevention manager, says daytime burglaries are just as common as nightime burglaries.
“Burglaries can be committed at any time of the day, and coming into warmer months there is more opportunity for thieves."
"Although a majority of burglaries involve forced entry through windows and doors, we are starting to see more incidents at insecure premises. Police deal with cases where burglaries are committed in broad daylight, sometimes even while the victim is at home. Good weather means open doors and windows, which makes homes more vulnerable to burglars.”
Inspector Barnaby says there’s a few things people can do to reduce their changes of a burglary being committed.
⚠️ If you’re going outside for gardening, relaxing in the sun, or working in the garage, take a moment to lock your doors and secure your windows first.
⚠️ Do the same at night when you go to bed - keep your doors and windows secure and close your curtains. Fitting window stays means you can get a breeze coming through, while keeping your windows secure.
⚠️ Get to know your neighbours - let them know if you’re going away and look out for one another.”
If you see any suspicious activity, people or vehicles in your neighbourhood, don't hesitate to contact Police.
If you witness or suspect any illegal activity, please call 111 if it is happening now, or make a report through 105 either online or over the phone, if it is after the fact.
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