Fee hikes proposed - Tauranga City Council to consider increasing water rates, dog registrations

The council is considering upping dog registration fees. File photo/George Novak

Using water, registering a dog, burying ashes, mooring your boat, parking at the airport and renting in a council village - just some of the things set to become more expensive next year.

In a 9am meeting tomorrow Tauranga City Council will consider a set of proposed increases to the fees it charges for various services. If approved, the new costs would come into effect mid-2018.

Among the proposed hikes was a 10c lift in the metred water consumption rate to $1.99 per cubic metre.

The base charge to use the city water supply would increase by $12 to $655 a year.

Registering your pet pooch would cost $130 - $15 more than this year, with the discounted early payment rate increasing $5 to $87.

Fees for seizing and impounding dogs may also go up, with a suggested new charge of $250 for dogs impounded for the fourth time.

Rents in the council's elder housing villages would be lifted from $130-$151 to $132-$154 per week for a single and $158-177 to $161 to $180 for a double.

The rates for parking at Tauranga Airport will rise for every time stint above six hours for short-term parking and five hours for long-term parking.

Charges relating to almost every service relating to developing, building or renovating property were also tipped to rise.

Council staff have proposed introducing a new category of fees for the laboratory work it does for the private sector, such as testing for E.coli, toxins or smells.

A new consistent way of charging community organisations that lease council land for their buildings has also been developed. It included a flat annual rate of $234 plus square metre rates.

The cost of airport parking is tipped to rise. File photo

That will mean big increases for some organisations that currently pay token fees of, for example, $1 a year.

The council will also look at generals today, including proposals for changing how the rates are set for different sectors of the community.

Proposed fee increase examples:

- Bridge Wharf berthage, 7+ days: daily rate up from $1.80/m to $2/m
- Airport short-term parking, 1 day: Up from $10 to $15
- Register a dog: up from $115 to $130
- Burying ashes in the rose garden area: Up from $700 to $735
- One cubic metre of water: up from $1.89 to $1.99