City Council receives record feedback on draft community plan

With three days to go in the public feedback phase for its 2006-16 long-term community plan, Christchurch City Council has received about 800 submissions from individuals and groups.

In 2004, when the Council asked for community reaction to its first long-term community plan, about 320 submissions were received.

Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore says the response is excellent. "We put out the long-term community plan for people to look at, mull over and give us feedback on, and this response is absolutely wonderful,” he says.

The draft 2006-16 plan was released to the public at the end of March and the public submission period concludes on Friday (5 May). Council staff have been working through the submissions as they arrive, providing information which will assist the City Councillors when they meet to consider the public input and any changes they wish to make to the draft plan as a result.

These meetings include opportunities for submitters (those who indicated they wanted to be heard) to present their opinions. These public hearings are open to the public and will take place in the Council Chambers on the ground floor of the Civic Offices on Tuam Street on 25, 26, 29, 30 and 31 May and 1 and 2 June.

Two days, 6 and 7 June, have been set aside specifically to hear submissions about the Council’s development contributions proposals.

Following this consideration of public opinion, there will be further discussions by city councillors and staff, on 8 and 9 June, firming up the final Our Community Plan. It will be formally adopted and published at the end of June and comes into effect from 1 July 2006.

All local authorities must produce a long-term community plan every three years, a system that replaces the old annual plan process. The City Council’s draft long-term community plan has firm budgets and service levels for the three years from 1 July, and indicative costings and estimates for the following seven years.

Christchurch City Council distributed 16,000 copies of its draft plan summary, sent out about 1000 copies of the full version and another 1000 computer discs of information. It also produced and distributed 50 discs for visually impaired people.

- More information about the City Council’s meeting schedule is online, at www.ccc.govt.nz/council/Agendas

- More about the draft long-term community plan is at www.ccc.govt.nz/LTCCP/Draft

ENDS

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