NRC's Draft 10-year Plan released for comment

The public has one month from today to comment on the direction the Northland Regional Council intends to take over the next decade.

The Council today released its Draft Northland Community Plan 2009-2019 with people able to make submissions on the raft of initiatives it contains until 3pm on Friday 8 May.

Included among those are proposals to help fund the region’s rescue helicopter service (via a GST-inclusive annual region-wide rate of $8.56) and Whangarei’s public bus service (which would cost Whangarei District ratepayers an extra $12.83 each).

Depending on whether the public back those proposals, the Council’s overall rates revenue (excluding targeted river rates) will increase anywhere from a low of 1.27 percent up to 11.54 percent in the 2009/10 financial year.

The two-volume, roughly 400-page Draft also includes a proposal to further develop a Regional Growth Programme to deliver well-planned infrastructure and regionally co-ordinated economic development.

It also suggests transferring Council’s shares in the Northland Port Corporation into a new Infrastructure Development Agency.

Deborah Ryder, the Council’s Local Government Project Manager, says feedback on the Draft is vital if the final Plan is to be truly representative of the Northland community’s wishes and the Council is very keen to receive public submissions.

To that end, about 60,000 copies of a 20-page summary of the Draft Plan – complete with a submission form – are currently being distributed to homes throughout the region. Submissions can also be made online via www.nrc.govt.nz/ltccp

Ms Ryder says the summary spells out a number of choices and options for the community and the Council would welcome any feedback on these key issues and the wider detail of the Draft Plan.

Over the 10-year life of the proposed Plan the Council’s annual operating expenditure is forecast to increase from the current $21.5M to $29.2M, mainly due to inflation.

The Council says in setting its proposed budgets, Councillors have been “very mindful” of the economic pressures Northlanders are subject to.

Ms Ryder says with one or two exceptions, the Council intends to hold annual rates increases at, or close to, the rate of inflation for the next 10 years.

Meanwhile, she says several hundred hard copies of the full Draft Plan are also currently being sent to interested parties.

The full Plan is also now available on CD from all Council offices or via the Council’s website www.nrc.govt.nz/ltccp