Draft annual plan attracts 2090 pieces of feedback

Thank you to everyone who took the time to give feedback on Rotorua Lakes Council’s draft 2023/24 Annual Plan.

Your feedback will be considered by elected members as part of decision-making.

Consultation ran from 11 April to 12 May and a total of 2090 pieces of feedback were received from individuals, groups and organisations with some submitting in more than one way:

• 1221 completed online surveys;
• 357 online submissions;
• 240 written submissions (submitted in hard copy);
• 187 email submissions (Note: this is not the final number which will be slightly less as some submitters emailed twice, requesting their second submission replace their first, and this is still being worked through);
• 85 pieces of feedback received via Council’s Facebook page.

All the feedback is being collated for elected members to read and about 100 submitters are expected to speak at hearings scheduled for tomorrow (day time) and Thursday (evening).

Those who asked to be heard are being contacted to schedule their day and time to speak to elected members.

Following hearings, elected members will deliberate and make decisions to enable a final draft of the annual plan to be drawn up and brought back to them to adopt in late June.

The adopted plan will take effect from 1 July 2023, the start of the 2023/24 financial year.

An annual plan sets out what services, work and projects will be delivered during the relevant financial year and a draft plan for 2023/24 went out for consultation in April.

For the 2023/24 financial year, to ensure rates remain as affordable as possible Council has proposed changes to some services, delaying or stopping some things and increasing fees and charges to increase revenue.

Council also proposes investing in a number of significant community, infrastructure, housing and economic projects during the next year with proposed capital investment totalling $141 million for renewals, levels of service and growth-related projects.

Council proposes progressing with:

• Work to enable more housing, in a planned and sustainable way (Plan Change 9, development of a Future Development Strategy, sale of surplus council sites);
• Development of a revised economic development strategy to meet current and long-term challenges;
• Opportunities to unlock and enable development of more business and industrial land;
• Business cases to identify projects and budgets for inclusion in the next Long-term Plan for inner city and Fenton Street revitalisation;
• Community safety work programme;
• Wastewater treatment plant upgrade;
• Redevelopment of museum;
• Aquatic Centre redevelopment (Stage 2)
• Work to enable final decision on potential introduction of kerbside organic waste collection service;
• Tarawera sewerage scheme;
• Linton Park stormwater upgrade.

While submissions have now closed, if you haven’t yet read the draft 2023/24 Annual Plan you can do so by going to Council’s consultation platform Let’s Talk/Korerō Mai via the following link: www.rotorualakescouncil.nz/annualplan