South Wairarapa council fee hike looms

South Wairarapa District Council officers have proposed higher "user-pays" fees, rather than having the costs continue to come from ratepayers.

There could be a significant jump in fees for several council services.

South Wairarapa District Council officers have proposed higher "user-pays" fees, rather than having the costs continue to come from ratepayers.

It would affect the costs of registering food premises and dogs, impounding, several types of licensing, noise control, resource consents, building consents and land information memoranda.

New fees for planning and building certificates and inspecting swimming pool fences are also proposed.

A report said fees needed to be reviewed to bring the level of cost-recovery into line with inflation over the past three or so years, and the council's funding policy.

"Most fees have not been adjusted in recent years so the income generated has fallen behind actual costs of providing the services," the report said.

"If such costs are not passed onto users, they fall on the general ratepayer."

The funding policy determines the public-private benefit split, which drives the cost recovery levels.

For environmental health services, 60 to 70 per cent of costs are supposed to be recovered by fees but at the moment only about 26 per cent is being recovered.

The report said if the fees were adopted by the council, it had the potential to reduce the requirement for ongoing funding from rates by up to $140,000 per year in the 2015-25 Long Term Plan.

Under the proposed fee schedule, building consent and inspection charges would rise by 4.1 per cent.

Registering an urban, desexed dog would cost $10 more and registering a rural, entire dog would jump from $44 to $64.

Annual registration of food premises would rise by $45.

Also proposed is a new service to publish liquor licence applications on the council's website for a fee.

The council will consider the report and fee schedule at its monthly meeting tomorrow.

If approved, it will be included in the 2015-25 plan for public consultation, which starts this Friday. View the schedule at www.swdc.govt.nz