The plan continues the Regional Council’s investment in improving the quality and capacity of the Public Transport network, regional resilience, a safe water supply, maintaining and protecting freshwater and biodiversity, and economic development.
Three questions the Council particularly wants public feedback on, which don’t directly affect Porirua, are:
- How to improve the long-term levels of service on the Wairarapa rail line and the Capital Connection to and from Palmerston North;
- What level of capability should be provided for the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO); and
- Whether Greater Wellington should continue to lead a programme aimed at establishing additional water storage for Wairarapa.
What does affect Porirua is the level of regional rates residents and businesses have to pay. This is going to be affected by whether or not the proposed changes in the Revenue and Financing Policy, following a comprehensive review, are supported. The policy is about how the costs of services are spread across the region and among different groups of ratepayers. The aim is to make the rating for public transport and flood protection more equitable, reflecting the benefits each group or ratepayers receive from public transport and flood protection work. Porirua has long complained that the previous funding model was unfair and resulted in Porirua paying the highest transport rates in the region. This proposed policy addresses that and reduces Porirua’s share of both the public transport rate and the flood protection contribution.
For Porirua residential and business ratepayers this would mean that next year the rates would decrease by over 2% (less is there is a three year transition). Across the region the rates will increase by an average of 6.7%.
It is important that Porirua ratepayers submit on the Plan, and especially on the proposed Revenue and Financing Policy changes, as many others will submit against as they will have to pay more for their flood protection work or for public transport benefits. So have your say on www.WhatMatters.co.nz before 29 April.