Central Hawke’s Bay rates will rise 20.9% next year. District Councillors met last week to deliberate on Councils’ draft Three Year – Road to Recovery Plan.
285 submissions were received when consultation closed.
Mayor Alex Walker said tough calls have been made, including closing and reducing some services or facilities.
She said Council will also use external funding in the first year of the Plan to reduce average rates by over four percent.
Ms Walker said rates affordability for our community is Councils’ biggest challenge, however past mistakes and choosing not to fund critical infrastructure can’t be repeated.
The Plan will be officially adopted next week and will come into effect on the 1st of July this year.
Tararua District Council received nearly 500 submissions on it draft Long Term Plan.
When consultation closed last Friday, 38 of the 497 submitters indicated they would present their submissions in person.
The Council will hold hearings next week, before deliberating the following week.
Mayor Tracey Collis said it was great to see the amount of engagement from the community, and said the submissions tell Council whether or not it is on the right track.
The Police Eagle helicopter assisted in a pursuit that started in Waipawa’s main street and ended at Pakipaki on Tuesday.
Senior Constable Andy Walker said two men who were wanted for various matters took off in a vehicle from BP in Waipawa.
He said they drove on the footpath near the Super Liquor store and were weaving in and out of traffic.
Mr Walker said the vehicle was spiked at Pakipaki, with the Eagle helicopter helping track the vehicle.
Both men were arrested.
There were two second division Lotto winners from Hawke’s Bay last night.
The tickets – which were sold at Caltex Waipukurau and to a MyLotto player from Hastings – are worth $24,952.
The MyLotto player from Hastings also had the correct Powerball number, taking the winnings to over $79,000.
More than $2 million worth of methamphetamine won’t be hitting the streets following a search warrant executed by Police in Napier this week.
5.5kgs of the drug was found at an Onekawa house on Tuesday night along with two firearms, ammunition, and cash.
Detective Inspector Martin James said it was exceptional work by the officers involved.
He said two firearms have been removed from the streets, along with a significant amount of methamphetamine the equivalent of an estimated 275,000 doses.
Mr James said if this had been sold to users within the community, it would have caused untold harm.
Two men, aged 19 and 34, appeared in the Hastings District Court yesterday.