Why you should care about draft longterm plans

This week, the Rotorua Lakes Council’s draft 2021-2031 Long-term Plan was released for public consultation. Region-wide the Bay of Plenty Regional Council has already consulted and will be holding hearings shortly, Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s draft plan is open for consultation until April 9 and Tauranga City Council’s draft plan is due out around May.

Each of these documents lay out investment plans for the next decade and consult on how they will be funded.

They will affect every person in this region, homeowner or not, student, full-time worker or stayat-home parent.

Even if you ignore every council decision made this term but one, make it this one.

It’s easy to pick out rates rises in these plans: A proposed average rates increase limit of 12 per cent in the next year in the Western Bay, a rates increase of about 9.2 per cent in the first year of the Rotorua plan, and, for the regional council, a real general rates increase of 5.8 per cent in the first year.

We’re likely to hear outrage about proposed rates rises, let alone almost double-digit percentage increases in the Western Bay and Rotorua and, likely, Tauranga.

And while you should have a say on proposed rises and those rises will have the most tangible effects, there is so much more to these plans than just rates.

Should the Tauranga schools fare-free buses trial cover the whole region and be permanent? Should Community Services Cardholders get free bus fares? What specific climate change projects should the regional council fund?

Should the Western Bay council increase its annual budget for road renewals, reseals and seal widening or invest more in cycling and walking? What about upgrading the district’s public pools or installing CCTV cameras?

Do you want Rotorua’s council to increase funding for a community safety plan to more than $1 million, increase borrowing by $181m in the next decade or upgrade the aquatic centre with new pools and a cafe?

There is so much more to a council’s long-term plan than changes to rates and homeowners aren’t the only ones who should care. Consultation on the regional council’s draft plan has closed but it’s not too late to speak up about the other councils’ plans.

If you haven’t been paying attention, now is a good time to start.