News Release

Tuesday 24 April 2012

One more week for Long-term Plan feedback

ROTORUA 24.04.12: Residents have just over a week left to get submissions in to Rotorua District Council on its draft Long-term Plan. The last day for submissions is Thursday 3 May.

The plan covers the ten year period from 2012 to 2022 and sets out the council’s future direction, proposed activities and projects, what they will all cost, how they will be funded and how council performance will be measured.

Signalled in the draft long-term plan are proposals to focus on stimulating economic growth for Rotorua, and for a change to the rating system from the current practice where rates are calculated on land values to one based on capital values.

The draft long-term plan also proposes retaining existing service levels across the district, keeping debt well under established policy limits, and low-level overall rates increases, with the 2012/13 year increase pitched at 2.9%

Mayor Kevin Winters said the council had so far received 177 feedback forms following distribution of 30,000 draft Long-term Plan summaries to Rotorua residents earlier in the month and posting of the full 350 page plan on the council website.

“We’re hoping to get more feedback yet so I urge residents to take the opportunity to give us their views on the contents of the draft Long-term Plan and the direction proposed, and on the various projects and proposals included in it.

“Nothing is set in concrete yet so it’s really important that we hear from our community before anything is finalised.”

From 15 to 17 May the council will be holding hearings to listen to verbal comments from submitters, followed by meetings between 5-7 June to consider all submissions. A council meeting to adopt the final Long-term Plan is scheduled for 30 June.

Residents who have misplaced or not received their long-term plan summaries and freepost feedback form in their letterbox should contact the council for a replacement copy or check out the draft plan and online submission facility at rdc.govt.nz.

Feedback closes at 4pm on Thursday 3 May.

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