Upper Hutt City Council held its meeting on Tuesday afternoon to adopt the Long Term Plan 2021 – 2031. The plan was adopted without changes to Council’s deliberations that were held on 26 May and follows a community-wide consultation during March and April that garnered almost 1,000 submissions—three times that of the previous Long Term Plan. We’re thankful to the community for sharing their thoughts and feedback and helping us reach decisions on significant matters.

We encourage you to read through it to see what we will be working on and where we’ll be investing. Highlights of the plan include:

• Significant investment (nearly $240 M over the next 10 years) in our core infrastructure of transport and waters.
• Full upgrades to H2O Xtream aquatic centre and the Civic Centre.
• The introduction of a sustainability grant and other sustainability initiatives, including spending about $20 M on walking and cycling infrastructure.
• Continued focus on economic development of our city and enhancing the vibrancy of our city centre.
• Continue to deliver services and programs that contribute to the social and cultural wellbeing of our residents—such as our libraries, active and play programmes, and working with community groups.
• While we did consider reintroducing a rates-funded kerbside recycling service, our community was divided on the issue and we decided not to introduce it now. We have decided to leave the choice with families and individuals and the flexibility offered by keeping the recycling facility in Park Street open.

To make sure we can deliver our plan, the average annual rates increase over 10 years is 4.83. While this is higher than our past Long Term Plans, we are forecasting a period of unprecedented growth, and it is important that we plan for this and steadily and optimally invest, so that our city is able to maintain its livability.

In order for us to invest in some of our larger infrastructure projects, debt is forecast to peak at $253 million over the 10 years of the plan.

Mayor Guppy acknowledged that the plan was significant in terms of what Council is going to undertake, “This is a commitment for the future. The future may hold many unknowns—some of which we’ve anticipated in this plan. I believe this is the right approach and right timing for our city. Business as usual plus some large projects—this will ensure that Upper Hutt continues to be a location of choice for our communities, families, and businesses.”

The Long Term Plan 2021 – 2031 is available online now at upperhuttcity.com/ltp. You can download the document in sections or as a full standalone PDF.

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