Environmental South (ES) councilors yesterday accepted their 2022-’23 annual plan and fulfilled their commitment in last year’s long-term plan to keep rate hikes averaging 5%, despite increasing financial pressure.
Chairman Nicol Horrell said the council has worked very hard to re-prioritize work and find efficiency within the organization to keep up with the planned rate hike.
“We understand that Southerners, like the rest of the country, are facing many increases in the cost of living, and we are doing everything we can to keep rates low while working on the outcomes our community expects of us, He said.
“At the same time, we are facing very similar cost pressures, especially rising inflation and interest costs, and some ongoing uncertainties related to revenue.”
A number of their climate resilience projects are underway, along with significant progress with the Jobs for Nature Mahi mo te Taiao projects.
“Two of our Fiordland-based projects are already making a difference, rid the national park of invasive plants while supporting the economic well-being of the community. We are ready to build on these achievements in the 2022-’23 years. “
Freshwater challenges are a critical focus for ES, and good progress has been made in understanding the level of change that needs to be made.
Some of the key differences in the annual plan from last year’s long-term plan include:
– Increased operating costs and higher than expected inflation and interest rates.
An overview of the climate resilience projects, including an additional $ 3 million contingency, built into the budget to provide for potential increased costs.
The establishment of a rabbit control rate in a specific area east of the Mataura River. The new rabbit control rate is higher to cover increased costs for the work, as well as costs associated with the administration and monitoring of the contract.