Selwyn_Times: February 14, 2024

Selwyn Times Wednesday February 14 2024
4
NEWS
Football
to resume
at Kakaha
Park
PREBBLETON Football Club
expects to be back at Kakaha
Park, Prebbleton, for play this
winter.
The park, which opened in
June, was plagued with field
drainage issues last year, affecting
how much it could be used
by sporting codes.
A council investigation
revealed it was the health of the
soil causing the issues.
Club president
Shannon
Gilmore said
the council has
given an assurance
the fields
will be up to
scratch.
Shannon
Gilmore
“We were
moved to
Kakaha Park
last year, but it flooded out, so
they’ve done some remedial
work over the summer and we’re
back into Kakaha Park again
this year,” he said.
The main fixes were to the soil
structure, using compost, plant
foods and soil aeration, which
started in early spring and will
carry on until late autumn.
• Prebbleton football, page 27
• Turn to page 4
Gliddon said rural ratepayers
do not have access to some of the
services urban ratepayers do.
“Even if you’re talking about 50
acres they would pay twice the
amount an urban house would,
but they’re actually benefitting
less. There’s no stormwater, no
rubbish collection, you’re paying
extra for water races, something’s
not right,” she said.
Mayor Sam
Broughton said
the council
tried to be as
fair as possible.
“The current
draft rates
information is
Sam
Broughton
provisional and
yet to be confirmed.
These
proposals are based on a range of
general and targeted rates, which
we seek to be as equitable as possible
for all our communities,”
he said.
Broughton, who is also the
Local Government New Zealand
chair, said council funding
needed to be looked at.
“All councils across Aotearoa
also need new sustainable funding
options beyond rates. This
will require new Government
legislation.
“The Future for Local Government
review recommended
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Sustainable funding options needed
an annual $2 billion transfer of
revenue to local government and
for central government to start
paying rates on Crown property.”
Gliddon also said how the
council charges water races
needs to be assessed.
Currently, it is charged as a
targeted rate for properties with
access to them, but Gliddon said
many farmers can no longer use
them effectively.
“With their farm environmental
plans, they can’t use these
water races. So they’re having
to pay thousands of dollars for
something you can’t use.”
Council manages approximately
1700km of water races
across the district.
Every ratepayer pays $45 towards
the operation of the races,
with those who access them paying
a targeted rate of $418 plus
$19.50 per Ha.
By the end of 2024-34 Long-
Term Plan period the amount all
ratepayers pay is set to increase
to $126 and the targeted rate is
set to increase to $740 plus the
$38 per Ha charge.
Gliddon said she is proposing
joining the land drainage rate,
water race rate and stormwater
rate into a pool, as opposed to
the current system of three different
targeted rates.
“If you proportion out then it
would be more beneficial, then
NETWORK: Selwyn has 1700km of water races, which are
looked after by the council and are ratepayer-funded.
we would actually have to do
land drainage to stop water getting
into our townships.”
Gliddon said it is crucial for
the residents to provide feedback
on the LTP when it goes out for
consultation in April to guide
the council on changes they
PHOTO: SDC
want or projects they want to
cut if anything to reduce rate
increases.
• Have your say on the
upcoming LTP register at
www.yoursay.selwyn.govt.
nz/register
• Letters, page 13
PIZZA HUT ROLLESTON