At a meeting last week, councillors completed their deliberations on submissions to the draft 2010/11 Annual Plan. Council received 58 written submissions to the plan.

Council's decisions have resulted in an average overall rate increase of 4.7% for 2010/11, which means Wanganui ratepayers have had one of the lowest rates increases over the past six years. This will mean an average increase of 4.6% for residential ratepayers, 5.9% for farming and 5.2% for commercial.

A significant change to the plan, proposed by Cr Nicki Higgie, was to increase the Community Contracts budget from $110,000 to $150,000. The Community Contracts budget is a contestable fund for organisations which deliver sustainable projects contributing to the community wellbeing through social, cultural or recreational initiatives.

Councillors decided to extend the SuperGold Card holders' free parking scheme trial, to run until the end of March 2011. The scheme gives SuperGold Card holders free parking on Victoria Avenue between 8.30am and 10.00am, Monday to Friday. The extension will allow the scheme to be fully evaluated and data to be gathered over a full year of the trial.

It was agreed to hold a referendum during 2010/11 to ask the community whether it wishes council to explore options to become a unitary authority. The referendum will take place in October 2010, at the same time as the triennial elections.

Additional funding was approved for the Library budget, which will enable the new Gonville Café Library (pictured above) to open on Saturdays for a one year trial period. The Gonville Café Library, in Abbot Street, is currently open from 9.30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday, with more than 4000 people using the services every month. From September this year, the Gonville Café Library will open from 10.00am to 2.00pm on Saturdays, increasing access for the whole community to this council facility.

Other key decisions included:

• Increasing metered parking in areas other than Victoria Avenue and surrounding area from $0.40 per hour to $0.50 per hour
• Spending on anti-social behaviour will be shown separately in the Annual Plan and in rates notices, clearly identifying costs involved in tackling this issue
• Council will support Federated Farmers actively advocating for the Government to lift the financial assistance rate from 60% to a 90% level of roading expenditure
• Adding details of the footpath renewal programme for 2010/11 into the Annual Plan
• An additional $9000 for Wanganui in Bloom will be included in the 2010/11 budget and levied against only the Central Business District Targeted Rate
• A review, including consultation with interested parties, will be undertaken of the Victoria Avenue/London Street/Great North Road intersection and reported back to the Finance and Infrastructure Committee.

Arts organisations and artists in Wanganui have once again benefited from Creative Communities funding. In the last funding round, a total of $30,000 was distributed to local organisations and individuals with applications covering visual and performing arts; a wide range of age groups; different cultures; and both established and emerging artists.

The following Wanganui arts initiatives have benefited:

• Invention and creation of murals on the exterior walls of the Aramoho Playcentre by parents, children, families and friends of the Aramoho Playcentre (Aramoho Playcentre).
• Showcase a young people's art exhibition - teaching the total process of staging an art exhibition to youth including hosting the opening (Children's Art House).
• Wanganui Inter-Secondary Schools portrait competition (Wanganui Girls' College).
• A series of creative workshops held over three months specifically for users of disability services in Wanganui (Whanganui Creative Space Trust).
• Internationally acclaimed pianist Michael Houston will perform one concert on 3 October 2010 (Chamber Music Wanganui).
• Stage the new critically acclaimed play about the life and work of famous New Zealand artist, Frances Hodgkins – 'Double Portrait: Finding Frances Hodgkins' (Handstand Productions).
• Location show by Japanese artists Akiko Diegel and Asumi Mizuo (Julian Priest).
• Speaking in Faces – a visual response to the writing of Janet Frame and critical discourse of Maurice Blanchot (Karen Strachan).
• Professionally photographed record of the bronze works of Joan Bullock-Morrell (Valerie Cowan).
• Support and promote the New Zealand Opera School held annually in Wanganui (Wanganui Opera Week).
• River City Jazz Festival - free concert in Majestic Square Saturday, 6 March; RSA Saturday, 7 March 2010 (Wanganui Jazz Club Inc).
• Provide sheet music for concerts in July and October 2010 (Wanganui Male Choir Inc).
• Multi-disciplinary Maori arts and crafts event to promote close cultural connection with Marae or tikanga (Wai Ora Christian Community Trust).
• Three concerts for local musicians throughout NZ Music Month, giving an opportunity to showcase their talent (Riverain Trust).
• Fringe festival with six events/workshops occurring, complementing the Annual Artists Open Studios weekends (Whanganui Arts Marketing and Development Trust).
• An open-entry exhibition event with awards, for local and national artists, providing a national platform for visual artists - all works available for sale (Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust).
• The visual and poetic telling of the Easter story - exhibition by more than 20 local artists (Easter Art Wanganui).
• Subsidised beginner classes in arts and crafts such as mosaics; glass beads; jewellery; pottery; printmaking and woodwork (Wanganui Community Education Services, CES).
• An exhibition to enhance adult creative awareness, 24 September – 1 October 2010 (The Hillcrest Project).
• Pay and Display – an interactive art form where the public and artists use parking spaces for a creative space (umbrella organisation is Art in Public Places).
• Exhibition of floral art paintings and other creative media from April 6 to April 12, connecting with the National Floral Art Conference (Wanganui Community Arts Council Trust).
• Three amateur performing arts festivals covering dance; speech; drama; vocal; and instrumental, with participants ranging from 4-21 years of age (Wanganui Competitions Society Inc).

Creative New Zealand has issued new guidelines on funding. The next funding round will be in October 2010, where it is anticipated $15,000 will be distributed.

Once dates are finalised, the next funding round for 2010 will be advertised in September, with all enquiries to Don Hunter, Arts Coordinator, Wanganui District Council, email Don Hunter or phone (06) 349 0001 extn 8415.

Local Assessment Committee for Creative Communities Scheme 2010:
Barney Haami - Iwi Representative; Joan Rosier-Jones – Literary; Fred Loveridge – Musician/Music Teacher; Emma Camden - Chamber of Commerce; Barbara Vine - Community Arts Council; Cr Nicki Higgie; Greg Donson, Curator, Public Programmes Manager Sarjeant Gallery; Don Hunter, Arts Coordinator, Wanganui District Council.

Ladies toilets

The Kowhai Park ladies toilets will be closed from dusk on Sunday, June 20, until dawn on Saturday, June 26.

The closure is to enable repairs to be made to the flooring in the ladies toilets area.

An alternative toilet will be placed in the car park adjacent to the toilet block.

Water feature

The Kowhai Park water feature has been turned off for its annual winter shutdown. During the shutdown period, maintenance will be carried out on the control valves and drainage.

The water feature will be turned on again in the spring once the warmer weather starts.

Ratepayers who may qualify for a rate rebate must make an application by 30 June 2010 for the 2009/10 rating year. (The rating year runs from 1 July – 30 June).

If your income is low to moderate then you may be eligible for a rates rebate. To determine if you are eligible we require your gross income earnings (before tax) for the tax period ending 31 March 2009. The rate rebate will be calculated on your income earnings and your 2009/10 Wanganui District Council rates and Horizons Regional Council rates.

Please contact the rates department for further information, phone (06) 349 0519.

The Sarjeant Gallery will be closed from Monday, May 24, until Saturday, June 19, to enable building maintenance work to take place.

This will involve the gallery floor being sanded and re-varnished.

In order for this to take place the front of house area, offices and library will be cleared and artworks removed from the gallery. Once the work is complete then everything will need to be reinstalled in time for the annual Whanganui Arts Review and the winter season of exhibitions and events.

Details about the following vacancies are available on this page:

Development Engineer
Applications close 18 June 2010

Executive Assistant to Property Manager (14 months fixed term parental leave cover)
Applications close 21 June 2010

The Wanganui District Council is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

We welcome members of the public to attend our meetings

Council – Tuesday, June 22 (Council Chamber, 3.00pm)
- The Council will consider the reports from Committee meetings held in May and June, and Reports Direct to Council – Visitor Information Centre Update; Local Body Elections 2010; Referendum '10; Dog Control Fees 2010; Visitor Committee Update; International Velodrome Events Centre; Finance and Infrastructure Committee Amendment to Terms of Reference; Maori Land Rates; Cooks Gardens Update; PS Waimarie Update. Confidential Items: Wanganui Gas Ltd Update; Wanganui.com Update; Port Update; Chief Executive's Report.

Wanganui Rural Community Board – Thursday, June 24 (Committee Room 2, 4.00pm)

Community Development – Tuesday, June 29 (Council Chamber, 3.00pm)

Finance and Infrastructure – Tuesday, July 6 (Council Chamber, 3.00pm)

Agendas are available at the Customer Services Counter, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui, and the Wanganui District Library two working days prior to the meeting.