Greater Wellington Regional Council Long Term Plan Consultation Document 2021 - 2031

GWRC is over-due to undertake a first principles review of rating policies: FFNZ recommend that the review planned for this triennium (2019-2022) be expedited.

FFNZ recommend that the planned review give specific attention to:

• Using UAGC to the maximum 30% for all services benefitting the population at large
• Increasing the proportion of user charges for public transport
• Providing rates remission for land in covenants; and that
• the planned review be informed by closer analysis of rating impacts on commercial farming properties, as distinct from lifestyle blocks.

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FFNZ record significant concern that Council propose major capital expenditures and increased borrowing in the upcoming period, including for electrification of public transport and de-stocking of regional parks. FFNZ emphasise in the strongest terms that tight financial disciplines are especially imperative in the Covid recovery period, including in the context of the Government target to double export earnings from the primary sector by 2030. We believe the Council proposals may also be ill-targeted to deliver on the Government’s carbon and methane reduction targets: we question the bang-for-buck on spending in excess of $20 million on an area equivalent to one average farm to reduce methane emissions, and we question whether the bang for buck on electrifying public transport (>$1 billion) will be sufficient to attract the majority funding (90%) required from central government. For these reasons, FFNZ does not support the “options” presented for feedback in the LTP, pending Council providing the business cases for these major projects.