After two days of in-person submission hearings, the Draft Long Term Plan
setting out the budget and project direction for the Waitaki District will now be
deliberated by the Mayor and Councillors in early April.
The record-breaking submissions from 650 people, some as individuals or
representing community groups from across the District, totalled over 2,700
pages. The Mayor and Councillors spent several days reading ahead of this
weeks submission hearings. The message has come across very clearly, with
reducing costs and rate-rises, while getting back to basics being a key theme
for many submissions.
Before consultation began, the Mayor and Councillors made a commitment to
balancing the budget for the Long Term Plan, as at the launch of the
consultation it was unbalanced across the nine-years it covers.
However, in the consultation, there have also been requests for increased
funding for specific projects, communities and assets, and consideration will be
given for what can be done through current business as usual and inclusion in
future Annual or Long Term Plans.
Mayor Gary Kircher says, “We’ve had the largest response to a Long Term Plan
consultation on record, and it’s now down to our Councillors and me to make
some tough but important decisions. We have heard the concerns around
affordability and core services, and we have heard the need to focus our
efforts. Our decisions will take those submissions into account as we also
ensure we deliver good quality services for the Waitaki District.
I’d like to thank everyone who made a submission, either as an individual or
representing a group, for recognising how important their role is in this process
and doing their civic duty – we have all read every single submission and every
submitter will receive a response.”
The Mayor and Councillors deliberations take into account their strategic
direction, community views, costs, risks and equity for the community before
directing Council Officers to make changes to the budget and plan, which will
be brought back to them for further consideration in April and May.
These deliberations will be public and livestreamed and are planned to take
place between 9am and 4pm on 31 March 2025, between 10.15am and
12.15am and 1.45pm and 4.30pm on 1 April 2025 .