10-Year Plan Decisions Ahead For Council

The first in depth scrutiny of Council’s business as part of the drive to make
operational savings of $14.5million gets underway next week.

The Extraordinary Council meeting on 22 September as part of the 10-Year Plan
process will be taking a close look at the work of the Community Development
Unit.

The meeting is the first of seven which will be reviewing the entire business of
Council in order to make savings and meet the goal of a financially sustainable
10-Year Plan for 2012-2022.

Over the course of the seven meetings running from 22 September - 31
October, Council will be scrutinising 22 areas of Council business. Councillors
will be asked to consider a range of recommendations from staff which could
result in some services being stopped, reductions in services and grants, changes
to fees and charges, reduction in project spending as well as giving consideration
to new initiatives. The sale of assets currently owned by the Council will also be
considered in the coming months.

Their decisions will guide the drafting of the 10-Year Plan, which will be
available for the public to formally have their say on from March 2012.

As well as pre-consultation discussions which have been taking place in recent
weeks with a range of community groups, an online forum has been set up. The
public is also invited to informally make their views known about what they
would like for Hamilton in the next 10 years, what business Council should be
in, and who should pay for what. Comments can be posted at
http://getinvolved.hcc.govt.nz/smartthinking

Mayor Julie Hardaker says: “We have some very challenging matters to consider
and hard decisions will need to be made to put us in a stronger financial position
for the future. “Reductions to the services Council provides residents are inevitable, but as a Council we have to be bold and brave and take a leadership role in advancing
the city.

“I would like people to let us know their thinking now at our online forum, or
drop us an email or even pick up the phone and voice an opinion. We want to
know what role people think Council has in our city and what business we
should do or not do.

“People will be able to formally tell us their views when the time comes for
submissions on the 10-Year Plan early next year but speaking up now will help
Council make the right decisions.”