Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown says it has been a year of challenges, with the ongoing impacts of Covid-19, recovery from the May 2021 floods, high inflation and increasing Government regulation all putting pressure on budgets and rates.

The proposed average increase for the district is currently sitting at 9.4%, although this will vary depending on area and property value.

“Just like any other business, the cost for us to purchase goods and services has risen sharply in the past year which is a major reason we’ve struggled to meet the 7.8% increase forecast in the LTP.

“In response we’ve reduced budgets for some of our day-to-day services, particularly in areas where it’s likely to only have a small impact on the community.”

Mayor Brown said one example is  Council’s decision to review opening hours at the EA Networks Centre after data showed only a handful of people were using the facility later in the evenings.

He said such adjustments make a relatively small difference individually but add up when applied across all Council activities.

“If the community was willing to accept a reduction in the level of service in some areas, we could make deeper cuts and that’s something we’d really like hear our residents’ views on.”