Waitomo District Council is making some changes to fees and charges relating to food premises and resource management functions, and is seeking your feedback.

Food Act 2014

The Food Act 2014 set up a new regime for licensed food premises to comply with, and Council was required to implement this within its fees and charges. To do this, Council undertook a consultation and heard from the community in 2015. As a result of community feedback, changes were made to the proposal, and the new licence regime was implemented.

Now that the new licensing regime has been in place for a year, Council is able to refine the fees and charges to better reflect the actual costs of the new regime to Council, and to provide a fairer and more transparent fee structure to food premises in the district.

Resource Management Act 1991

Council is proposing a new structure for its fees and charges under the Resource Management Act. The new proposed structure outlines deposits, fixed fees and other recoverable expenses to make it clear from the outset the types of costs an applicant can expect for each type of application or service. It makes the true costs of services clearer for applicants, and provides Council the ability to recover fair costs for the services.

These fees and charges better reflect the actual costs Council incurs in providing these services, to ensure ratepayers do not unfairly subsidise a service from which a specific user benefits.

Have your say

More information is available here including the specific fees and charges that Council is proposing, along with a submission form. Alternatively visit the Waitomo District Library, the Te Kuiti i-SITE, or the Customer Services counter at the WDC Office Queen Street, Te Kuiti.

Anyone can make a submission and we encourage you to tell us your views. The consultation period opens on Thursday 4 May 2017 and closes at 5pm on Friday 2 June 2017.

If you wish to speak to elected members about your submission, hearings will be held from 1pm on Wednesday 7 June 2017 in the Council Chambers. Make sure you tell us if you wish to be heard.