On 9 May 2024, Property Council submitted to Wellington City Council on their Long Term Plan 2024-34.
Why this matters to our members
Property Council advocates for the creation and retention of a well-designed, functional and sustainable built environment. It is important that the voice of the property sector is heard when it comes to Wellington’s direction for the next ten years.
Our view
While we understand that Council is operating in a tough economic environment, we were concerned that some of the Council’s proposals, such as the proposed decision to maintain the business differential and the introduction of a vacant site differential, would negatively impact businesses and property owners in Wellington.
At a high level, we recommended that
- Reduce the business differential from 3.7:1 to 3.2:1 and commence a staged reduction of the business differential until either removed or reduced to an equitable level over the next three annual plans (nine years) and replaced with alternative funding mechanisms that are fairer and more equitable;
- Investigate city and regional deals as an alternative source of funding;
- Reject the introduction of a vacant site differential;
- Wait until the new central library has opened before closing Arapaki Service Centre and Temporary Library; and
- Provide the sector with more detail regarding the eligibility criteria for the proposed remission of general rates for earthquake prone buildings.