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Kaipara District Council (KDC) received a record number of submissions on its Long-term Plan (LTP) for the 2024-2027 period – a three-fold increase on the number submitted during the previous LTP process.
LTPs, which are local government works and budget programmes, usually cover a 10-year period, but this year the central government permitted Kaipara and seven other councils to adopt unaudited, three-year plans, focusing on recovery after last year’s floods.
By the time the month-long public consultation period ended on May 4, KDC had received 742 submissions, from individuals, organisations, community groups, iwi and businesses. By comparison, 246 formal submissions were received in 2021, in connection with the 2021–31 LTP.
Councillors and KDC staff also held 13 face-to-face and drop-in events across the district from April 6 to May 1, answering questions arising in the draft plan. Public hearings were held in Dargaville and Mangawhai on May 15 and 16.
“It has been great to hear so many different community voices speak up for Kaipara,” Mayor Craig Jepson said. “We are working through every single piece of feedback that was sent in, and listening to those who chose to speak to their submission.”
Jepson said there were more “hard yards” for the council ahead.
“We always said we would keep working to make further inroads to reduce costs, and soften any rates increase wherever possible,” he said, adding that all elected members would look to end up with figures lower than the earlier projections.
“It is a really delicate balance between rates affordability and delivering the level of service our community expects. We are doing everything in our power to strike that appropriate balance.”
In its draft plan, council proposed a programme of action that would require average rates increases of 15.1 per cent, 8.4 per cent and 3.4 per cent in each of the next three years.
On June 5, council will discuss any changes or updates to the draft programmes and budgets, before the LTP is formally adopted on July 31.
Budget climate options
A significant element in the draft LTP related to climate change policy. Council asked for feedback on whether it should earmark money for a dedicated climate resilience programme.
It offered three options:
- a budget of $500,000 across three years, which would see council deliver climate adaptation services, but not climate mitigation services
- a budget of $700,000 across three years, under which council would deliver climate adaptation and mitigation services, and reintroduce two programmes that were suspended late last year – emissions accounting and reporting, and developing a climate policy setting out council’s approach to climate change (MM, Oct 9)
- a budget of $0. Council would have no dedicated work programme or budget towards climate adaptation, action or resilience
Council recommended the zero budget option, arguing that it already does work in the climate area, such as land drainage schemes in Ruawai and Raupō, for which council collects a targeted rate.
It said climate resilience was already considered as part of the development of a new District Plan, and that each of its activity groups must consider climate resilience when setting their work programmes.
Council also pointed out that it was part of the Joint Climate Change Adaptation Committee for Northland governance group, and Climate Adaptation Te Tai Tokerau, which focuses on climate change adaptation.
