10 year plan to shape vision for the district

Friday, September 2 2011

What is your vision for the district? That is the question being asked of residents as Waipa District Council begins development of its draft 10 year Plan.

While the official consultation period will not start until March, the council is wanting to engage the community before the draft plan takes shape by getting people thinking about how they want the district to develop.

Previously known as the Long Term Council Community Plan, the 10 year Long Term Plan is the guiding document for all council activities as it outlines what Waipa District Council will do each year and how the work will be funded.

While it will largely be based on the 2009-2019 plan, it will take into account the projected economic situation, any change of priorities over the past three years and the identified community outcomes.

This is a great opportunity for people to share their vision for the future of our district and have input into what projects the council undertakes over the next decade, says Mayor Alan Livingston.

As a community we need to look past the here and now' and start looking ahead to how our district should be developed for future generations, he said.

There were some big ticket items on the community wish list and one of the challenges would matching expectations with the reality of the current economic climate.

A new requirement for this plan was for the council to develop and consult on a financial strategy.

As the bulk of the money that funds council activities comes from ratepayers it is important they have their input into what projects we undertake and how they will be funded, said Mr Livingston.

We will be working hard to ensure the community is kept well informed during the development of the plan and we will be encouraging as many Waipa residents as possible to have their say.

ENDS

For further information contact

Lisa Nairne

Senior Communications Advisor

Ph: 07 872 0062 or 027 532 1760

Email: lisa.nairne@waipadc.govt.nz