Business. Scoop » Hurunui Makes Bridges A Priority
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy ReporterThe Hurunui District Council is working on next year’s annual plan as it looks to get on with some much needed bridge maintenance. Bridges will be the focus as. . .
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy ReporterThe Hurunui District Council is working on next year’s annual plan as it looks to get on with some much needed bridge maintenance. Bridges will be the focus as the Hurunui District Council begins work on next year’s Long Term Plan. Council chief financial officer Jason Beck said planning was already under way for next year’s 2027/37 Long Term Plan, with the council preparing a bid for the 2027-30 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP). Mr Beck said an emphasis will be placed on the maintenance and replacement of bridges. The Hurunui district has 286 bridges, with around one-third likely to need replacement over the next 30 years. The council received funding for just one bridge in the 2024-27 NLTP. The NLTP sets out Government spending on roading, public transport, footpaths and cycleways over a three year period and is administered by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and includes co-funding with local councils. Mr Beck said the council adopted its 2026/27 annual plan on Tuesday, June 30, with the only significant change from the 2024/34 Long Term Plan being a reduced roading budget. ‘‘In the last Long Term Plan we planned for a significant increase in our roading spend to improve our roading network, but we didn’t get the funding we needed from NZTA. ‘‘It means we are maintaining our level of service, but we haven’t been able to improve it. ’’Roading was a focus of this year’s annual plan, which has allowed for a 15 percent increase in the roading budget of $1. 75m to allow for increased costs due to high fuel prices. This included $1. 2m from roading reserves and the balance from rates. A budget of $1. 2m has also been set aside for the Grierson Avenue extension in Amberley, which aims to secure access to the Amberley Beach Golf Course, and will be debt funded. This year’s annual plan has an average rate rise of 5. 31%, including water services. The annual plan has an operating deficit of nearly $6. 5m, which is ‘‘a paper deficit’’ as the council has chosen not to fund all of its depreciation, Mr Beck said. Councils often fund depreciation, where they set aside funds to replace assets such as roads, pipes and buildings over their lifespan. Mr Beck said the council was required to record depreciation as an expense, even if it did not intend to fully fund it. The average rate increase without water services is 3. 97%. The water services rate will be passed on to Kaikōura Hurunui Water Services Ltd, which took over the management of the two councils’ water services from July 1. Assets worth $224. 2m have been transferred to the new company, along with $78. 4m worth of debt. It means Hurunui’s debt is now $33. 5m. – LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. Content Sourced fromscoop. co. nzOriginal url