LTCCP2009 Responses

Letters responding to submissions made to the Council’s Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) 2009-2019 will be going out later than usual as a result of the high number of submissions made to the draft Plan. Over 1,160 people made submissions to the draft LTCCP with over two thousand submission points being considered and needing responses.

“Council staff are working to ensure that responses to all the submission points are correct and reflect the Council’s decisions,’ says the Council’s Chief Executive Diane Turner.

“I want to assure all submitters that we are working as quickly as we can, but we need a little more time to finalise everything. I expect the letters to all submitters will be going out in early September”.

Ms Turner said the LTCCP had been a huge task for the Council. ”It’s important that we strike the right balance between getting things right and meeting deadlines. In this instance the Council has focused on getting things right. We are asking submitters to be patient with us as we complete this process’.

The Council will also write to all submitters advising of the delay and some of the Council’s key decisions. The Council will also be preparing a Byways insert into the Beacon and Bay Weekender on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 August advising of key Council decisions on the LTCCP.

The Council adopted the LTCCP on 13 July with a clear audit opinion following public consultation, submission hearings and deliberations. The LTCCP documents will be available of the Council website: www.whakatane.govt.nz from 31 July and from Council offices and public libraries from 13 August 2009. The first rates demand is due 21 August 2009. This will be based on the rates set through the LTCCP.