The Pre-election Report is now available.
Community members considering standing for Porirua City Council in the October elections can now read a snapshot of the city including the Council’s financial and operational performance.
The Porirua City Pre-election Report, released today, is available on the Council’s website at https://poriruacity.govt.nz/2019-elections
Porirua is experiencing an increase in growth brought about largely by Transmission Gully, housing demand and a strong economy. While this offers opportunities for the city, it also brings challenges, says Council chief Executive Wendy Walker.
“Growth is our major challenge – in particular managing growth within our financial constraints.
"Porirua has seen 1 per cent residential growth for many years. However, in the last year this has more than doubled with growth at 2.2 per cent.
“We have a small ratepayer base and have some structural financial issues we are working to redress. Our city is a young one, largely built in the 1960s. Unfortunately the infrastructure built at that time, particularly the water infrastructure, has not stood the test of time. The roading design and water infrastructure solutions were right for the time but now, some 50 years later, we are facing some significant challenges as the city grows and our community demands ever-higher standards of environmental protection.”
The Government has committed a $1.5 billion investment into housing and associated infrastructure regeneration in eastern Porirua. This will see the modernisation and rebuilding of many state homes and some Kiwibuild homes. Private developments are also occurring in new areas include Kenepuru Landing in the south, Plimmerton Farms in the north and smaller scale, but nonetheless important, housing in Aotea and Whitby continue.
Ms Walker says while these are exciting times for Porirua, there will also be constraints.
“The Council is in a solid financial position and this is reflected in our AA credit rating with Standard & Poor’s. We are on track to balance our books by 2022/23. In the meantime we are projecting rates increases year-on-year at 4.98 per cent. Only 0.67 per cent of this is for increases to our general operation – well under inflation – while a further 1.6 per cent is to balance the books and 2.27 per cent is for the upgrading of core infrastructure.”
The challenges of growth and ongoing infrastructure upgrades will be matters the new Council will need to consider in the next Annual Plan and the 2021 Long-term Plan.
2 Aug 2019
