The Whakatāne District Council’s 2015-25 Long Term Plan (LTP) has been approved for public consultation, together with a raft of supporting documents and draft policies and proposals.

As required by the Local Government Act, an LTP consultation document, ‘The Big Decisions’, was also adopted at an extraordinary Council meeting last week.

The consultation document is now being printed and will be distributed to residents during the week beginning 16 March. Mayor Tony Bonne is encouraging everyone to read the document and provide feedback to the Council.

“The LTP sets out the direction, priorities, work programme and budgets the Council is proposing to implement during the next decade, so it’s hugely important that we get a feel for whether the wider community believes we are heading in the right direction,” he says. “For the most part, we are proposing a ‘steady as you go’ approach, with a focus on delivering reliable services and infrastructure at an affordable cost. However, we are looking to make adjustments in some carefully selected areas, such as investing in activities which will contribute to growth and community prosperity.

“This is a great opportunity to have your say and Council elected members and staff look forward to receiving your feedback and working together to achieve a sustainable future.”

The LTP and all of the supporting documents will be available on the Council website from 12 March, with copies also available from Council offices and District libraries. The submission period runs from 12 March to 13 April 2015, with hearings and deliberations scheduled to be held between 7 and 22 May. The LTP and associated documents will then be finalised and adopted on 25 June.