Chairs Identify Their Goals

The emphasis on being environmentally sustainable is a key goal for the Chairperson of the City Council’s Policy and Planning Committee, Cr Anne Podd.

In her State Of the City address, Cr Podd referred to the review of the Waste Minimisation Plan which is part of the draft 10 Year Plan released for public consultation today.

A taskforce of Councillors, Council staff and community and industry representatives have prepared options to improve the Council’s waste minimisation which include improving kerbside collections for recycling by using wheelie bins instead of the current plastic bags.

In encouraging comment and suggestions from the community, Cr Podd also emphasised feedback on the proposed new bridge, a planned walkway from Ashhurst to Palmerston North and a new four court stadium at Arena Manawatu.

She spoke of the passionate debate in Council concerning the new bridge, the strategic roading package associated with the Eastern Growth Corridor and viewpoints expressed at the Council about where the city should grow or if it should grow at all.

“Our Industrial Growth Study is currently focused on a possible extension to the North East Industrial Zone next to the Palmerston North Airport, we’ll undertake a review of the provisions for industrial land in the rest of the city and continue to work with Manawatu District Council on longer term growth options,” she says.

With the closing of submissions for the Council’s District Plan “we will work through all the information to develop issues and options papers.” The final phase is the preparation of a proposed District Plan with a completion date towards the end of 2012.

The Chairperson of Community Well-Being is reassuring Palmerston North people that they “won’t receive second class treatment.” Cr Lew Findlay says the Council will maintain the present standard of service particularly wirth reference to parks and recreational areas.

In rebuilding the community house in King Street “we are telling the public that we value you and we want to give you the best, not a second hand renovated building,” he says. The community house will accommodate the community sector agencies in the city.

Cr Findlay pointed to maintaining the community centres in the city and publicising their availability for the public to use at a reasonable cost. The Council will also continue to allocate grants through committees comprising community members or through the Community Services Council.

“As a city we will always be people centred,” Cr Findlay says.

The City Council has a sound financial base with a strong balance sheet and good cash flows reports the Chairperson of the Finance and Performance Committee.

Cr Jim Jefferies acknowledges the Council has addressed issues raised last year and has made significant progress in solving them. “We have set realistic operating budgets and are meeting them. There has been a significant reduction in the planned rate increase (4.8 percent) over last year’s (11.3 percent),” he says.

In the draft 10 Year Plan the proposed new bridge is the largest single item affecting rates and Cr Jefferies welcomes the opportunity for people to provide feedback on it and its costs. We need to balance the bridge cost against value he says.

In referring to the balance sheet Cr Jefferies has drawn parallels with house mortgages and groceries.

He says the the funding of the bridge factored in the Council’s debt is the equivalent of a $20 to $26,000 mortgage on a $200,000 house and, after paying for the groceries (the day to day costs), the Council’s cash surplus will rise to $30 million in year 10 (2019).

Cr Jefferies also referred to the Council’s rating system review which will now take place next year.