Enclosed with the agenda was the Draft Annual Plan 2008/09 incorporating the Review of Fees and Charges for Planning and Libraries (which included the changes recommended in the library report ) and the Draft Development Contributions Policy,. The Summary Statement of Proposal of the Draft Annual Plan 2008/09 was also included in the agenda.

RESOLVED

THAT the report be received.

The Manager, Planning and Environmental Services Manager presented a report on the Draft Annual Plan 2008/09 incorporating the Review of Fees and Charges for Planning and Libraries and the Draft Development Contributions Policy. A report was also tabled outlining the amendments to the Draft Annual Plan distributed with the agenda and the Audit Opinion received from Audit NZ on the plan.

The member’s requested that the wording in the fifth paragraph of page 2 of the summary document under the ‘Mayor and Chief Executive’s Message’ be changed as follows:

"We are ‘considering’ a general rate increase of 9.4%" the word ‘considering’ be replaced with the word ‘proposing’.

Further amendments outlined in the summary were explained as follows:

Subsoil Drainage of fields - $120,000

Passive Reserve Recreation area - $155,000

The Community Services Manager advised that the Paeroa Ward Committee at a recent workshop had signaled that they approved of the heating of the pool proposal following consideration of an evaluation report specifying the equipment and costs.

The intended project is estimated to result in an increase of 5.5% to the ward rate. The member’s were advised that the expected life of the heating and filtration system if anticipated to be around 30 years. It was also advised that the existing pumping and treatment equipment was in need of replacement within the next 3 – 5 yrs and that this should also be taken into consideration as not all of the cost estimated within the Evaluation Report was solely attributable to heating.

Renewal of the existing equipment on it’s own would add cost to the annual operating account i.e. cost of interest from use of depreciation reserve, however, there would be costs associated with the introduction of heating and the extended swimming season, those costs are s follows:

Capital Cost - $260,000.00

($51,000 being the heating components estimated cost)

Fixed Costs for Disp. and cost of capital - $29 500.00

(the latter cost estimate including cost relating to renewal of existing equipment)

The members agreed to include the heating and early renewal of the pumping and treatment equipment of the Paeroa Swimming Pool in the Annual Plan 2008/09.

Maunsell consultants have prepared a draft Assessment of Environmental Effects Report to be included with the application for closure consent for the Paeroa landfill.

The primary objective of these closure works is to rehabilitate the site to a safe, productive, stable and non-erodable condition.

An ongoing monitoring programme is provided for, comprising annual site inspections, annual groundwater elevation determination, annual groundwater and surface water chemistry determinations. An initial monitoring regime is proposed for the first two years of the consent, with provision for reducing the level of monitoring after this as indicated by the first period results.

The draft report estimates the cost of the works as approximately $1m. This would appear to be very conservative. Funding of this order is provided in the Hauraki Community Plan.

Council’s approval to the basis of the consent application was requested.

The Drainage Manager advised the member’s of their invitation to attend a workshop to be held on Friday 4^th April 2008 in which EW will address Council on the proposal to undertake a limited review of the funding for the Waihou Scheme and the Piako River Scheme.