As this March edition of The Star hits the streets, the future use of millions of South Wairarapa residents’ dollars will have been decided by councillors’ votes on the district’s Long Term Plan (LTP) and the future direction of water services and systems.
LTP spells out the council’s budget and spending priorities for the next decade, and the coming year’s rates increase.
Local Water Done Well will see South Wairarapa join three other districts in the so-called “Wai + T” alignment of regional efforts to deliver and control drinking water, waste water and flood waters.
The March 5 meeting, held from 1:00 p.m., was one of the more important decision-making sessions of this council’s three-year term. It ends in October.
With pressure on to hold rate rises down after massive increases (100%-plus for some) over recent years, few residents wanted another major cost hike.
But with tens of millions of dollars needed for urgent water service works, including major repairs
to sewerage plants in all three main district towns,
the council faced a difficult dilemma.
Details of the outcomes in the April edition of The Star.
