Ratepayers would pay $60 each for HAC

Tony Collins

Ratepayers would pay $60 each if the constructions costs of the Hundertwasser Art Centre were funded through a targeted rate, Northland's Chamber of Commerce says.

Spread over 10 years, residential ratepayers would pay less than the price of a coffee and a muffin, Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Tony Collins said.

A decision on the HAC's future is likely to be made by the Whangarei District Council tomorrow, and on the eve of the decision, the chamber has released several rate calculations based on figures in the council's annual plan.

The calculations were put together with the assistance of a local government consultant engaged by the Chamber, which is encouraging the council to analyse the chamber's data.

The cost of the centre is $13 million, of which $2 million has to be spent by the council regardless of the building's future, due to earthquake regulations.

Five million dollars has been raised outside the council, and the $13 million estimate includes $1.35 million already spent. That leaves $4.65 million to be paid for by ratepayers.

Through a targeted rate, the chamber calculations propose sharing the $4.65 million across residential ratepayers (25 per cent of the cost), commercial/industrial ratepayers (50 per cent) and rural ratepayers (25 per cent).

The resulting cost would be residential $60, commercial $1162 and rural $60 - over 10 years, $6 for residential/rural and $116.25 for commercial.

Based on the council's status quo system, residential would pay $80, commercial $662 and rural $192, Mr Collins said.