2021 - 2031 Mahere Pae Tawhiti - Long-Term Plan FAQs
He aha tēnei mea te Mahere Pae Tawhiti? - What is a Long-Term Plan (LTP)?
The 2021-2031 Long-term Plan (LTP) sets out what Council proposes achieving over the next ten years and how that will be funded.
It will affect everyone in Rotorua so your views matter.
The plan is reviewed every three years to ensure it remains relevant and reflects the direction of Council and of the Rotorua district.
This LTP outlines our plan to spend the next few years leading the work that needs to be undertaken to address our confronting issues; working towards economic recovery resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and long-term economic development critical to addressing many of the challenges faced by our communities.
The LTP consultation document includes proposals we want your feedback on, as well as information only projects and matters.
Your feedback will help Council in its decision-making.
E hia ngā wā e whakarite ana e te Kaunihera i te Mahere Pae Tawhiti hōu? - How often do councils prepare a new Long-Term Plan?
Under current legislation councils are required to produce a new (or revised) ten-year LTP every three years. The last LTP produced by Rotorua Lakes Council was for the 2018-2028 period.
Ka whakawāteahia tētahi tuhinga Mahere Pae Tawhiti ka toro whakaaro e te hāpori i mua i te whakataunga? - Will there be a draft Long-Term Plan prepared for public consultation?
Legislation no longer requires a draft LTP. Instead, legislation now requires that public consultation be based around an LTP ‘Consultation Document.’ Council will only prepare its full Long-Term Plan after public consultation has taken place and the community’s views have been considered.
He aha te Tuhinga Toronga Whakaaro? - What is the ‘Consultation Document’?
The Consultation Document is like a prospectus or manifesto for a council, setting out what the council plans to do in the coming years. It outlines the key challenges a council believes it will need to address over the coming 10 year period, and identifies options being considered to meet those challenges - and the cost of implementing those options. It effectively initiates a public conversation to generate community feedback, which is taken into account when preparing the LTP.
Ka taea e au tētahi Tuhinga Toronga Whakaaro i hea? - Where can I get a copy of the consultation document?
Our Consultation Document and feedback forms will be available online at letstalk.rotorualakescouncil.nz/.
He aha te huarahi kia toro whakaaro atu ki te Kaunihera mo te Mahere Pae Tawhiti? - What is the process for giving feedback to the council around its Long-Term Plan?
Rotorua Lakes Council is inviting feedback from anyone interested in having a say on what should be included in its next Long-Term Plan. Feedback can be sent to council from 30 March 2021 until 30 April 2021. Feedback can be submitted online at letstalk.rotorualakescouncil.nz/ or via post or email letstalk@rotorualc.nz.
As part of an open and transparent consultation process, all feedback is treated as a public document once received.
Āhea ka whakatau te Kaunihera i ngā kaupapa kei roto i te Mahere Pae Tawhiti? - When does the council decide on what is to be included in the Long-Term Plan?
After the consultation period has closed, the council will deliberate on all the feedback it has received and make decisions about the Long-Term Plan’s content. The final 2021-2031 Long-Term Plan is scheduled for formal adoption on 24 June 2021, and will come into effect on 1 July - the start of the 2021/22 financial year.
Ka pēhea tātou e mōhio ai kua tūtuki e te Kaunihera ngā wawata o te Mahere Pae Tawhiti? - How will we know if the council has achieved what it set out to do in the Long-Term Plan?
At the end of each council year, councils are required to prepare detailed annual reports covering their financial and operational performance for the previous 12 months. These are subject to independent audit by the Office of the Auditor-General. They are public documents adopted at open council meetings, and are published on council websites within a few months of the end of each financial year.
Why is the Westbrook Sports & Recreation Precinct proposal (Westbrook Precinct) mentioned in this LTP?
The 2021-2031 Long-term Plan sets out what Council is proposing to achieve over the next ten years and how that will be funded. The Westbrook Precinct is not a proposed project within the first three years of the proposed Long-term Plan so it’s not a focus of consultation at this time.
Council and the community have a lot of work to do before the Westbrook Precinct proposal options (including costs) are ready to consult on.
Has a decision been made about the proposed Westbrook Precinct project?
No. The Westbrook Precinct proposal has been signalled to be part of community consultation in the 2024-2034 Long-term Plan.
During the initial engagement with the community in 2020 we let the community know that the timeline for this proposal would be extended to be considered for the Long-term Plan for 2024. In order to bring this conversation to the community as part of that LTP process, Council advised the proposal would need further investigation and planning work in the meantime to ensure it was in the best position to be considered.
Is Council selling reserve land to pay for the proposed Westbrook Precinct project?
Council has not made any decisions around funding for the proposed Westbrook Precinct project at this stage. Any proposals (including funding) will require extensive community consultation.