The Rangiora Ward Advisory Board
Please note that the views expressed here are those of the Advisory Board and not necessarily those of the full council. The chairman of the Board has sole responsibility for what he chooses to publish but usually with the consent of the Board.
If you have matters of direct concern to the people of Rangiora then contact the Chairman Murray Clarke on 313 7678 email: ma.clarke@xtra.co.nz or the vice chairman Kevan McLaughlan 313 8216 email: mclaughl@xtra.co.nz
The Rangiora Ward Advisory Board is your Board. It is there to help you and to concentrate on getting a satisfactory outcome for you and your concerns.
The Rangiora Advisory Board’s Position on Area Wide Rating for new Dudley Pool Complex
The Rangiora Board on recommending its decision to the Council have considered the following points:
1.) There are a number of factors and circumstances, which have changed since the original decision to fund any shortfall from fund raising to a Rangiora area, which is yet to be defined.
2.) The Rangiora board believes the whole district will benefit from the new pool located in Rangiora and not a defined area; an area which will also be subject to arbitrary measures.
3.) The fundraising efforts, if successful will already provide a significant contribution towards the facility, and will likely be the most significant contributions to our districts community facilities this Council would have received. Particularly in times of business down turn.
4.) The operating costs for swimming pools are funded from rates from the whole district on a sharing basis of which the Rangiora area already contribute significantly to the overall maintenance of facilities throughout the district.
5.) It is considered by the board that the towns including the Rangiora area already contribute disproportionately or subsidise other areas of the district under the Recreation Rate Policy and it therefore does not want further division or disparity of this rate.
6.) Other capital projects within this rate are not funded in such a way and therefore a targeted rate decision tends not to reflect the sharing of costs and facilities across the district.
7.) Loans previously required for the Kaiapoi and Oxford Pools are still currently being repaid or have been paid in the past of which the Rangiora area is already subsidising. This is unfair and inequitable policy.
8.) Facilities that provide for strategic purpose have not been generally funded to selected areas in the past for recreational facilities. The new pool in the Boards view will be seen to be a strategic facility, as it is central to the districts community.
9.) Funding its own capital and operating costs introduces a precedent and if promoted will eventually place burden on areas not so well placed to fund their facilities.
10.) To select one activity amongst many activities funded by the Community services rate does not promote the unity of its community, its health and well being that the Council has been striving to develop.
11.) To expand on the above points; each pool will be dependent upon the other and complimentary to the programmes that will be offered:
- Programmes offered will most likely be offered the pools will likely to be offered at differing times
- Pool maintenance closures (all pools will be staggered during shut down periods requiring users to shift from one pool to another
- Oxford is an outdoor pool, users will travel between pools in the winter months
- The above points will be important strategies to promote usage and maximise revenues/lower rate requirements.
12.) During times of hardship and a probable down turn in the economy, this cost will produce selected hardship to some who cannot afford it. These people will range from the young starting out in life in our district to the elderly who have contributed to what our district is today. Confirming a rate to a selected area will place selected burden to many of our elderly residents at a period when we should be working as a district to share these costs and benefits. Statistics NZ have shown Rangiora to have an older age profile than most parts of the District.
13.) Council provides facilities to its community for the public good and welfare, this facility will offer much to its community.
14.) Given the Pool is a public good and tends towards being a non-excludable good, that is, part of its operating costs are funded by rates as the user charge can not identify the benefits. By selecting an area to pay for the shortfall may not reflect the usage or benefits derived by those individuals selected with the burden of funding the cost. The principle of funding goods for the community benefit should therefore be district wide. This is our Councils policy.
15.) The Pool is not like a Water Supply, whereby the user area is well defined and benefits and costs can be ring-fenced and distributed amongst those within the supply that directly benefit. A rating area for the pool, no matter what area is selected, will produce inequities and introduce disadvantages to people. Therefore these circumstances tend to support the principle of sharing costs for overall community benefit.
16.) The funding efforts being undertaken by the fund raising group is an enormous effort one which the board congratulates the fund raising committee for its commitment on behalf of the district. Many people involved with this effort may not even be a user of the pool, but recognise the benefits that will be derived for years to come, for the whole of the district and its communities.
17.) The board also commends the Council in its decision to support the Pool and it also strongly advocates and recommends to the Council to ensure that this specific community asset is district wide funded for the reasons provided above.
Please click here for Refuse and Waste Management Submission from the Rangiora Ward Advisory Board
Clean Heat
The Board is very concerned about Clean Heat and is currently working on a submission about it.
In the meantime please go to the Environment Canterbury pages in this section and follow the links there for their official detailed information about Clean Heat in both Rangiora and Kaiapoi, and they list possibilities for individual assistance. More information follows.
Rangiora Advisory Board Ignored
By Kim Newth (North Canterbury News)
Rangiora Ward Advisory Board chairman Murray Clarke says that plans by the Department of Conservation (DOC) to build an area office on reserve land on the outskirts of Rangiora were never referred to the board.
“That’s a real issue for us. It is disappointing it was not referred to us in the first place by either DOC or the Waimakariri District Council. You might well as say what is the point of having a Rangiora advisory group if no-one is going to consult with it!”
It was only after seeing an advertisement in the paper that the Board had found out about DOC’s application, he said.
He put the board’s concern at a hearing earlier this month over DOC’s proposal to build on recreation reserve land (part of Milton Reserve) at the corner of Cones and River Roads. The plans include office and administration facilities, storage, carparking, signage, earthworks and landscaping, and an on-site effluent treatment and waste water disposal system.
In its submission, the Rangiora Ward Advisory Board raised “significant concerns”, noting that the area was low lying and might be subject to flooding, and also that the DOC office could reduce the amenity value of the surrounding area.
The board also questioned the appropriateness of situating the DOC office in a rural zone and suggested consideration be given to an alternative site, such as Southbrook.
Environment Canterbury also submitted against the proposal, noting flooding issues, as well as concerns about locating an area office out of Rangiora’s business hub.
The proposed office falls outside a proposed urban limit for Rangiora. “The proposed commercial activity is removed from central Rangiora where the key activity centre exists,” stated resource management planner Geoffrey England.
DOC’s submission is that the proposed site is the most appropriate. It is both accessible and affordable, according to DOC’s area manager Kingsley Timpson.
DOC also plans to add to the amenity value of the site, by introducing over 70 different native plant species.
Pre-consent consultation took place in the local area and a community meeting was held last October, said Mr Timpson in his submission.
An independent commissioner is currently considering DOC’s application
Click here to read Murray Clarke's comments on the recent floods.