Deliberations in key areas

DECISIONS in a number of other key areas were made by MDC in its Long Term Plan deliberations. They included:

• Regional Development: Existing funding for Destination Manawatu and Vision Manawatu was retained. Additional funding of $32,741 requested by Destination Manawatu for the Country Road programme was removed, with council viewing this as an activity that should be provided as a core service.

• Manfeild Park Trust: The community investment in Manfeild Park will reduce from the $250,000 proposed in the Draft Long Term plan to $150,000 each year. The 2012/13 funding commitment to Manfeild now totals $500,818. This includes an operating grant for ground maintenance ($168,100), community investment grant ($150,000) and interest paid by council on a $2.5 million loan to the trust ($182,718).

• Sanson Domain grandstand: The grandstand will be retained for the duration of the Long Term Plan, with council to spend around $5000 for essential strengthening work. Council encourages the community to agree a solution to the longer-term issue of retention or renovation of the grandstand.

• Earthquake-prone buildings: Council is identifying all earthquake-prone buildings as defined by the Building Act 2004 to ensure public safety in commercial and public buildings. Council agreed to fund strengthening work to the small number of earthquake-prone buildings it owns, budgeting $150,000 in 2012/13, $205,800 in 2013/14 and $159,450 in 2014/15.

• Funding Agency: MDC will join the newly-established Local Government Funding Agency. The LGFA has been established by a group of local authorities and Government to enable local authorities to benefit from their collective bargaining power by borrowing money at lower interest rates.