No trend to submissions

SUBMISSIONS to the Manawatu District Council’s 2009/19 Draft Long Term Council Community Plan covered topics “right across the board” and revealed a growing interest in council affairs by young people, says Manawatu District Mayor, Ian McKelvie.
A record 366 submissions were received for the LTCCP and 61 individuals, businesses and organisations took the opportunity to speak to their proposals at the Manfeild Park stadium suite from Monday to Wednesday this week.

Mr McKelvie said the draft plan had drawn a lot of public interest, with two different factors having emerged from the submissions presented.

“It’s quite exciting to see the increasing number of younger people taking an interest in what council is doing,” he said. “I think that’s hugely positive and good for council.”
The Leisureville concept had obviously drawn attention, he said, but there were many other issues to which the young had responded.

Mr McKelvie said that although there was a record number of submissions, there was no definite trend to them and they had been across the board.

“When you look at them, you can’t pick out any single trend, so it will be hard for council to get a strong pointer as to where it should go differently than where it is going with its plans.”

He said all presenters had done extremely well in presenting their submissions.

“And if they haven’t agreed with what we are doing, they have not been negative, but taken a more positive approach in suggesting alternatives.”

During the first day of hearings, council heard a variety of presentations from individuals, schools and organisations such as Federated Farmers, MidCentral Health, Manawatu Historic Vehicle Collection Trust, Sanson and Rongotea Community Committees and the New Zealand Rugby Museum.