A controversial indictment filed after a Taranaki council spent nearly $ 1.5 million repairing roads damaged by the truck has been given the green light.
The Stratford District Council’s targeted rate for roadways, which will ensure that central Taranaki forestry owners pay a share of $ 100,000 a year, was accepted on Tuesday as part of the council’s annual plan.
Only one councilor opposed it, but the motion was still accepted, and will be discussed on Friday, at the beginning of the new financial year.
It called the forestry industry “unfair”, which questioned why the council did not make sure its roads were up to date before harvesting pine trees – which happens every 25 years.
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But any form of change has been welcomed by people living on roads used by timber trucks.
Jane Matthews / Stuff
Ian Coombe lives on one of the district’s roads most affected by loggers.
Last week, Ian Coombe and Debbie Langton spoke wellas they live on Puniwhakau Rd, which is one of the most damaged, and in such poor condition their families refuse to visit.
The tariff was approved at an extraordinary meeting, which was convened after the council delayed the adoption of the annual plan to get “clarity” on the road tariff.
Sven Hanne, CEO of the council, said the main point of explanation is around the number of properties that will be charged this financial year.
It moved from 29 properties to 26, after three owners “provided evidence that they were no longer, or never used, for forestry”.
The amount charged, who is charged, and other aspects of the rate may change each year, Hanne said.
“It’s year one, so it’s baby steps.”
Andy Jackson / Stuff
The rate was first discussed five years ago, but only officially hit the board in January. (File photo)
But councilor Rick Coplestone, who has always opposed the course, criticized it.
“I feel like we should not adjust it, say ‘our bad’ and fix it later,” Coplestone said. “And I feel that, yes, it will have to be adjusted.”
Councilor Min McKay acknowledged the rate “could upset some people”.
“But it’s a commercial operation that costs our taxpayers,” she said. “There was a point where we had to do something.”
The rate was first discussed around the board table, behind closed doors in a workshop, about five years ago.
In July 2019, the council reported spending nearly $ 1 million more than the budget on their roads – with road asset manager Steve Bowden saying much of the cost was “attributed to the logging boom”.
Bowden said at the time that imposing a road tax was not an option for Stratford.
He said how elected members had discussed it 18 months earlier, but it was suggested that if the council imposed such a rate, it would only make about $ 15,000 extra.
In January this year, however, the rate was on the table, with councilors taking the first steps to set it.
It went out for public consultation, and a number of submissions that came back criticized the move to act only now.
Earlier this month, the rate was again criticized by NZ Forestry director, and Taranaki regional manager, Cam Eyre, for similar reasons.
But the council forged ahead of it all.
Councilor Coplestone voted against the motion on Tuesday, but it was still passed, with Councilor Grant Boyde moving the motion, and Councilor Amanda Harris seconding.
“I wholeheartedly support it,” Boyde said.