Long Term Plan Guide

What is a Long Term Plan and Consultation?

Council's Long Term Plans set out our priorities for the next 10 years. When Council makes decisions, this is one of the most important documents referred to.

Deciding on how to spend money is complex. Knowing what our communities want enables us to make the correct decisions.

The Long Term Plan has information about Our Challenges, Activities, Services and Projects, and how we plan to deliver. There are also financial statements, details on how much our projects will cost, what we will borrow and an indication of what the rates could look like for you. This is how we show our accountability.

While preparing a Long Term Plan every 3 years we are able to assess changes our world and make adjustments as necessary (such as COVID impacts, climate change effects, the national and global economy).

Consultation on the Long Term Plan allows you the opportunity to participate in Council's decision-making processes. Your feedback helps us understand what services are important to you. We create a Consultation Document which provides an overview of our proposals for the Long Term Plan, and a feedback form for the public to submit their views by way of public consultation.

It is important for us to hear what you have to say, so we can develop a positive way forward for the community and meet your needs as adequately as possible.

An Annual Plan is prepared for each year in between the Long Term Plan. The Annual Plan is used to make adjustments to the LTP in case projects or proposals need to change.

Our plans must be audited as a legal requirement, to ensure that the contents are accurate and factual with strong evidence to back up what we say and plan to do. This gives our communities confidence that we can and will deliver.

A helpful link:
Council planning and consultation processes - Local Government Act 2002 (localcouncils.govt.nz)

Why do councils prepare long-term plans?

Long term plans are key tools for councils to coordinate their resources in the most effect manner possible. It holds Councils accountable to their communities, with integrated decision making by way of public consultation and feedback. This then gives the public a long term view of how their district will be managed.

Under the Local Government Act 2002, Councils must always have a long term plan covering a period of no less than 10 consecutive financial years, which is reviewed and may be updated every year in the form of an Annual Plan. A complete review of the Long Term Plan is completed every three years, with any new amendments or additions taken to public consultation then updated in new documentation.

The purpose of the Long Term Plan according to the Local Government Act 2002 Section 93(6) is to:

describe the activities of the local authority.
describe the community outcomes of the local authority's city, district, or region.
provide integrated decision-making and coordination of the local authority’s resources.
provide a long-term focus for the decisions and activities of the local authority; and
provide a basis for accountability of the local authority to the community.

The long term plan outlines what has been accomplished in the last three years, what the Council intends to do, such as what services they will provide and the anticipated costs of doing so. Also included are the activities they will undertake, and how they are going to manage these. This information is designed to give the community assurance that the council can deliver what they say they will.

In delivering this document the Council is holding itself to account, by being open and transparent about were they are at, what they are doing and how they are doing it. By modelling open consultation and giving the community the opportunity to have their say in this democratic process, the community knows they have been listened to and can follow our progress.

What is the process for Consultation?

Council creates a Consultation Document, which outlines what they propose to be included in the Long Term Plan. Feedback questions will also be included about key information that councilors have considered to be important. There will also be the opportunity for the public to provide any other feedback that is not contained in the document.

Council aims to have this information easily-accessible to as many people as possible, with this document being in hard copy and online, with links to any supplementary information.

Consultation is well-advertised in many different forms and hard copies of the document are delivered to mailboxes throughout the district. Copies can be downloaded or viewed at Council's website, and are also held at the Rosebank Council Office, all Community Libraries and the Clutha isite Visitor Information Centre.

When you make a submission you can elect whether or not you would like to speak to your submission at a council meeting (also known as a submissions hearing). These are held at the Council Chambers and are livestreamed to our YouTube channel. People who choose to speak will be contacted and given an allocated time to talk.

A decisions meeting will be held within one month of the submissions hearings and is not open to the public. All submitters will be notified of decisions as soon as possible after this meeting.

Want to read more? Check out the legislation that governs the Long-Term Plan and consultation by visiting Local Government Act 2002 Part 6 - Section 93-122.

Audits on long-term plans

What do audits of our Long Term Plans cover?

Audits from the Office of the Governor General (OAG), or conducted on behalf of the OAG, provide assurance from an independent party that Council's Long Term Plan is reasonable, based on fact and good-standing assumptions.

Having our Long Term Plan audited ensures that Council has included all mandatory information in the document, and that all financials are accurate and taking a prudent approach. Audits do not check if the council has met all of their legislative requirements, it is up to the council to make sure they have met these.

To maintain their independence, auditors are unable to comment on the policy content of Long Term Plan. Auditors role is to check that the policies are appropriate to the forecasts they have prepared and consistent throughout the document.

How do I make a submission?

This year we are trialing a new way to enter your submissions, by way of an online form.

All information and supporting documents are available on our website, and submissions can be made directly here. There is also space to add any other information or upload documents that support your submission at the end of the form.

If you would prefer a hardcopy, sit tight! A Consultation Document will be delivered to all mailboxes across the district during the consultation period. If you do not receive this, or if you want to get your hands on a copy sooner than this, you can visit your local community library, isite or council office and we can help you.

The Funding Submissions form is online as well, with suggestions for information to include in your submission. Alternatively, you can reach out to your local community library, isite or council office for a copy.

When the submission period has closed we will contact anyone that wishes to speak to their submission at the submissions hearing. This is an opportunity to give any other relevant information that supports your submission.

Following this, a decisions meeting will be held by Council to make their final decisions for the Long Term Plan.