Uncategorized
-
Adoption of the Annual Plan and what that means for our rates
This year, the Council decided to roll the rate rise into the Annual Plan, with Mayor Janet Holborow saying it wouldn’t be a good use of ratepayers’ money to consult on the increase (but apparently there’s still money for non core-activities, fringe donations and partnerships—just saying). On the 29th May, a member of Concerned Ratepayers…
-
Join us at our next Public Meeting Sunday 15th June
Happy with your rates increase and council performance?Rates are rising fast — let’s talk about where the money’s going and what we can do about it. Join us on Sunday 15th June, 3pm at the Waikanae Community Centre – bring a friend, a family member, a neighbour. Share this email or you can download the…
-
Flood Modelling and Ratepayers: a crisis of confidence
The Promise vs. The Track Record Kapiti Coast District Council is asking ratepayers to trust their latest flood modelling exercise – a sophisticated computer simulation using “advanced modelling techniques” and climate projections stretching to +3.7°C of warming. The maps look impressive, the technology sounds cutting-edge, and the scientific methodology appears robust. But there’s a fundamental…
-
Why an Independent Peer Review of Flood Maps is Crucial
Kapiti Coast District Council has recently released updated flood hazard maps that could significantly impact property owners, insurance, and mortgages across the region. Council is currently engaging with ratepayers through drop-in sessions and an online “have your say” portal until the 8th June. The proposed changes have raised serious concerns about their accuracy and fairness,…
-
Taking a Pause: Where Have Our Rates Gone?
This week, we’re hitting pause to recap just how your rates have been spent-and to reflect on the performance of the Council Executive and Councillors who back these decisions. With a 7% rates hike coming (and no real consultation!), Mayor Holborow claims it’s due to areas such as higher infrastructure and maintenance costs. But is…
-
ANALYSING KAPITI’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPEND: Who Really Pays?
By popular demand, we have summarised how this initiative is working and is planned to work (fail?). KCDC plans to spend $31 million on economic development over 10 years—the money is used to fund a group of people who distribute money out as grants for local organisations, events and other economic initiatives. Think Otaki Kite…
-
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – PART 4 : Iwi and Hapu Partnerships & Grants
Last post in our series on how your rates are spent on partnerships and grants. Today’s focus: Funding to Iwi and Hapu (2022–2024) Over the last 3 years, a total of $2,374,778 has been granted in this area. The chart below shows how spending is distributed across key categories. Top 5 Categories by Total Spend:…
-
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – PART 3 : Partnerships and grants
Last week, we shared a dataset showing how much money has been spent on partnerships. Over the past 3 years, this has totalled approximately $6,437,100. This week, we’re diving deeper into the details behind this figure . We confirmed that this number is mostly allocated to general grant categories, including the largest recipient of grants…
-
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – PART 2 – What Do Partnerships Mean for Kāpiti Ratepayers?
We’ve been asked about partnerships and their impact on ratepayers in Kāpiti. This is a difficult task and this is the closest we can get to an answer. You can see there is some approximation. You wont be surprised that spending in this area 44% over the last three years. Some of these disbursements are…
-
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – PART 1 : Where Does Our Money Go?
If we’re to make informed decisions, it’s essential to understand how public funds are allocated. Below is a summary of spending by various departments within the council, based on publicly available data. The table below condenses this information into operational and capital spending figures for the last three fiscal years (FY21-22, FY22-23, FY23-24). Key Points:…
Concerned Ratepayers Kapiti 