Major 10-year plan given the go ahead

A major plan that sets Environment Bay of Plenty’s path for the next 10 years was formally signed off this week.

The regional council’s first Long Term Council Community Plan was adopted yesterday (Thursday 17 June) and comes into effect on July 1. It outlines what the regional council intends do, and how much it will cost to do it, over the next decade. It also incorporates the Annual Plan for the next financial year.

The regional council received 165 submissions on the plan, four times more than it clocked up for last year’s annual plan. Chairman John Cronin says most submissions supported the regional council’s work and its intention to have more input into regional issues like roads and economic development. “That is very pleasing,” he says. “It shows we’re on the right track.”

After three days of hearings, the council changed aspects of the plan to reflect the community’s wishes. It decided to put more money into a waste battery collection system and other hazardous waste collections over the next 10 years. It has allocated $20,000 to look at Tauranga Harbour management and $50,000 to go towards the SmartEconomy Strategy for the western Bay of Plenty.

It also put aside $80,000 to cover a possible increase in operating costs for the Papamoa Regional Park over the next two years. Because of requests from territorial authorities, it reinstated the eligibility of district and city councils to apply for the Environmental Enhancement Fund.

The full plan is posed on Environment Bay of Plenty’s website on www.envbop.govt.nz or call 0800 ENV BOP (368 267).