Have Your Say on Regional Issues For immediate release: Friday 28 March 2008

Environment Bay of Plenty wants to hear your thoughts on its Draft Annual Plan, which sets out the Regional Council’s priorities for 2008/09.

The key things in the plan that affect residents include:

 Improving Rotorua air quality

 Protecting and restoring Rotorua lakes

 Public transport planning

 Coastal management You can find out what Environment Bay of Plenty has planned in its Draft Annual Plan summary. This is an eight-page booklet in simple English which sets out key projects for protecting and enhancing our environment in 2008/2009. It also covers where the Regional Council will get its money from and where it will spend it.

Environment Bay of Plenty Chairman John Cronin says the Draft Ten Year Plan will affect people in the region and has financial implications for them. “We want to work with the community for a better environment and to do that we need to know your thoughts. This is a draft plan so our councillors’ ears are open and we are ready to listen to your views,” says Mr Cronin.

You can make a submission on any part of the Draft Annual Plan you support or oppose by post, fax or email annualplan@envbop.govt.nz. You can download a submission form at www.envbop.govt.nz. Or you can fill out the form in the summary booklet and send it by freepost to Environment Bay of Plenty.

The booklet is available from libraries, Environment Bay of Plenty offices in Rotorua, Whakatane or Mount Maunganui or online at www.envbop.govt.nz. It will also be available at district and city councils. Submissions open on Friday 28 March and close on Wednesday 30 April, so don’t leave it too late.

Your submission will be heard by Council on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 May 2008. The Draft Annual Plan 2008/09 is based on year three of the Ten Year Plan 2006-16. The Regional Council is also seeking your views on the Draft Section 36 Resource Management Act Charges Policy for 2008/2009 and Draft Bay of Plenty Regional Council Floodway and Drainage Bylaw 2008. For more information on the draft document and making a submission visit http://www.ebop.govt.nz/Publications/Annual-Plan.asp

ENDS

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