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The Three Waters reforms are part of a "dramatic shift" from local to centralised decision-making, says Tasman mayor Tim King.

MARTIN DE RUYTER/STUFF Mark Greening is one of four elected members in the Richmond Ward. Council records show he attended 23 of 53 council and committee meetings between November 2019 and last Thursday. An apology offered by absent councillor Mark Greening was declined at a committee meeting, an act Greening calls a storm in a teacup and a divisive political stunt. Tasman District Council strategy and policy committee chairman, councillor Kit Maling, last Thursday invited apologies – as is usual – at the start of the meeting. Councillor Dean McNamara moved a resolution to accept the ap...

Councillor David Ogilvie says he hasn’t seen a breakdown for the $11.2m. Stuff asked the elected members whether they had received a breakdown of the $11.2m. All but mayor Tim King and deputy mayor Stuart Bryant responded. Here’s a precis of those responses: Councillor David Ogilvie He said he had not seen a breakdown for the $11.2 million. “My take on this is that it is a private issue WWL is negotiating with the NZ Government,” Ogilvie said. “I expect the Covid claim will be scrutinised by the relevant Government department and paid out according to their assessment.” Until ...

123RF Proposed rate rises of up to 7 per cent a year have received the nod from Tasman District councillors to go out for public consultation next year along with a $60 million increase in the council's net debt cap. Tasman District residents are facing potential annual rate hikes of between 4.5 and 7 per cent over the next 10 years and the mayor says he’s surprised the proposed increases are not higher. The tipped rate and debt cap hikes are due to go out for public submissions next year as part of consultation for the council’s Long Term Plan 2021-31. “I'm actually, I guess, in som...

Martin De Ruyter/Stuff Mayor Tim King, left, and council chief executive Janine Dowding say in the Annual Report that 2019-20 has been a year of change and challenges. The 2019-20 result was also helped by some external factors that moved in the council’s favour including increased revenue from forestry, lower borrowing costs, low inflation and higher-than-anticipated population growth. Net debt of $156.2m is below the council’s self-imposed cap of $200m and almost $35m lower than $191m that had been forecast. Rates revenue for the year was $76m, comprised of $40.3m from general rates ...