Environment Canterbury wants to increase rates by as much as 24.1 percent.

The news comes as New Zealanders face ever-increasing rising costs of living, with inflation hitting a 31 year high.

On average, it’s costing $364 more a year at the checkout but it gets worse at the pump – an extra $678 a year.

But that hasn’t stopped Ecan from proposing to increase rates.

The Long-Term Plan 2021-31 indicated an 18.8% increase in total rates required for “planned activities in the 2022/23 year.”

A 24.1% average increase is now being proposed.

Chair Jenny Hughey said, “In developing this draft plan the Council has kept to the commitments it made with the community in the Long-Term Plan, and carefully considered how we – as an organisation but also as a community – might accelerate action in response to climate change.”

“I’m excited about the options we’re proposing to encourage people to use public buses rather than private cars, given the urgent need to reduce emissions due to planetary overshoot.”

Hughey said “we must also respond to the major floods from last year, and ensure we are well placed to face more severe and frequent weather events.”

New Zealand Taxpayers Union Campaigns Manager Louis Houlbrooke said “ a 24 percent rates hike wouldn’t be normal, reasonable, or desirable at any time.”

“But during a period of rising living costs, when households are trying to bounce back from a pandemic, this level of rates hike is pure extortion.”

He said “ECan councillors are choosing to exploit the inherent lack of accountability in regional council politics. Most ratepayers can barely remember the names of their district councillors, so ECan Councillors are gambling that no-one will remember who on the regional council voted for a rates hike.”

“Canterbury ratepayers need to wake up and pay attention: the only two Councillors to show an understanding of financial realities for ratepayers and reject this proposal were Megan Hands and Claire McKay. The other twelve are not living on planet Earth and deserve to be turfed out in October.”

 He said “the climate change initiatives will do nothing to reduce New Zealand’s emissions. Our total emissions are set by the Emissions Trading Scheme, which means if someone in Canterbury switches from a car to a bus, carbon credits are just freed up for someone elsewhere in the country to buy petrol more cheaply. ECan officials know this, but the councillors appear determined to use climate change as an excuse to push their costly ideologic.”

Christchurch City Councillor Aaron Keown said “the proposed ECAN rates rise is out of control with a number of the ECAN councillors acting like drunken sailors at a spending orgy.”

“Their obsession with trying to increase the number of buses on the roads without any clear and measurable goals around patronage is illogical and straight out irresponsible.”

“At this rate ECAN rates will double every 4 years! I hope they receive a lot of submissions telling them how not the spend excessive amounts of money.”

Hughley said “we know we need to respond with urgency to the climate and ecological emergency. And we know that this comes at a cost. What we want to know from the community is ‘what do you think of the options we are proposing?’. If you agree, tell us. If you have a different or better idea, we need to hear it.”

“This isn’t the time to sit back and not share your views – we are all in this together as a community and the Council needs to hear from the people of Canterbury as we face the climate and ecological emergency together, while also delivering our other functions to support a sustainable urban and rural environment now and for future generations.” 

Submissions will be invited during the consultation period from 2 March – 3 April 2022.