There are two weeks left for you to have your say on five key topics affecting Waimakariri over the coming year.

The Council are consulting on their Draft Annual Plan 2019 – 2020 and want to hear what residents think about:

• Funding of Ultra-violet (UV) treatment of water supplies
• Potential actions for Council to take following the Waimakariri Water Zone Implementation Plan Addendum (ZIPA)
• A proposal to develop Tennis Courts in Coldstream Road, Rangiora
• Investigating Park and Ride facilities
• Council’s intent to develop a sustainability strategy.

Mayor David Ayers says “the Annual Plan is a document which outlines Council’s focus for the coming year and provides a basis for accountability to the community.”

“We are following closely to what we said last year during the Long Term Plan (LTP), with a few small changes and carry-forwards to make sure we are in the best position possible to help the District grow over the coming years.”

If supported the above consultation topics will result in an additional 0.2% increase in rates from what was signalled during the LTP – growing from 4.3% to 4.5% (excluding the opt-in kerbside collection service).

To find out how this will affect you visit the Rates Finder.

There are already a number of big projects  underway for the year which residents will see starting to take shape.

These projects include:

• New kerbside collection bins being delivered in April with service starting from 1 July
• Upgrading water supplies for resilience and quality
• Road and infrastructure upgrades – including the investigation and design of a Skew Bridge replacement, a new road in the Silverstream area of Kaiapoi and walking and cycling improvements
• Continued work on the Regeneration Area in Kaiapoi. This includes the completion of sports fields, stormwater ponds and a BMX track and dog park
• Construction of the Multi-use Sports Stadium begins this year
• A review of the District Plan, a draft for consultation is expected in 2020.

Consultation on the Annual Plan opened on March 11 and closes on April 11.

For more information on how each proposal will affect you and to have your say visit waimakariri.govt.nz/letstalk.