Dirty water, soaring recycling costs: Napier to have its say on council's annual plan

Fixing the dirty water issues is one of the topics Napier City Council is asking for feedback on. Photo / File

The public is being asked to tell the council its thoughts on Napier's draft annual plan.

Consultation has opened on the plan, with Napier City Council saying it expects increased water works and recycling costs to be two of the main issues.

Increased costs associated with these projects are a part of the reason the council wants to increase rates by an average of 6.4 per cent.

Recycling collected costs have gone up to $72 per household per year, but Napier households only pay $19 per year on their rates, with the council having absorbed the extra cost.

The cost is projected to increase again, to an estimated $95 per household per year.

Water projects are also adding to the rates bill, adding an average of $22 per household per year.

The council plans to bring projects from the Long Term Plan forward, and have three more proposed projects, which would help fix the issues some residents are experiencing with dirty water.

Mayor Bill Dalton said the council wants to know what people think of its plans for the upcoming year.

"It is no easy thing to meet the needs of the community and ensure our 'business as usual' duties are adequately funded and carried out, while not bringing greater hardship upon residents and ratepayers."

People can use the online rates guide to see how the plans will change their rates directly.

The third issue requiring feedback is whether a Hawke's Bay disaster relief trust should be set up by the Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group.

Establishing the trust will allow a fund to be built up as a charity before a disaster occurs, allowing the faster distribution of donated funds to those most in need when it's needed.

Further information about the draft annual plan and the online feedback form can be found at www.sayitnapier.nz.

The council will also be holding community meetings, rather than holding a more formal hearings process.

Napier and Taradale Libraries are also offering assistance to anyone needing help to fill in the online feedback form between 10am and 11am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until 8 May.

The final Annual Plan is due to be adopted in late June.