'220 have say on NRC draft annual plan'

About 220 submissions have been received on the Northland Regional Council’s draft annual plan with proposals to redirect council’s investment income and for new river rates, genetic engineering and the future of regional rail common themes.

Regional council corporate planner Angela Jane says a month-long period for public comment on the draft annual plan 2011-2012 officially ended at 3pm on 06 May.

Councillors would hold hearings to consider the submissions at Dargaville (in the Kaipara District Council chambers) at 1pm on Tuesday 17 May, at Kaeo on 1pm the following day (in the RSA, Leigh Street) and in Whangarei (in the regional council chambers, Water St) at 9am on Thursday May 19.

Ms Jane says the Wednesday 18 May Kaeo hearing replaces one that had been tentatively planned for Kaikohe.

“In the end, the majority of those making submissions in the Far North actually came from people living in and around Kaeo so we’ll be holding a hearing there instead.”

She says the regional council will be telephoning and writing to all submitters this week to advise them of the hearing dates and their appointment times.
Councillors would then meet to consider submissions in Whangarei on Tuesday 24 May and make any necessary changes ahead of a meeting to formally adopt the draft plan in Whangarei on Tuesday 21 June.

Copies of a 16-page summary of the draft plan were distributed throughout Northland early last month to coincide with the start of the submission period. That summary – and the full 148-page draft proper – can be viewed on the council’s website www.nrc.govt.nz/draftannualplan