Help Waipa plan for its future
Waipa residents and ratepayers will soon have an opportunity to have their say on what the district council plans to do over the next 10 years.
The draft 10-Year Plan for 2018-28 will be released on March 15, and explains the council’s programme for the next decade, how much it will cost, and the benefits it will bring to the district.
Mayor Jim Mylchreest strongly encourages people to let themselves be heard.
‘‘It’s an important time for everybody to either comment on what’s actually in the plan, and whether they support it or not,’’ he said.
‘‘There is also the opportunity for any other ideas that the community has to come forward with those now.’’
Mylchreest said while there was no guarantee those projects would get funded, it’s a chance for the public to let the council know what is important to the community, so it is worthwhile if there are any issues people are concerned about.
He said the projects may not be considered in this round, but could be future projects council can start thinking about for the next annual plan or 10-year plan.
‘‘Councils have 10-year plans, but they also get reviewed every three years, and the three-year plans are reviewed every year,’’ Mylchreest said.
‘‘There’s fine tuning that goes along the whole time, so just the fact that something’s not in the 10-year plan now doesn’t mean it can’t be introduced at either one of those review processes.’’
Council is considering and making ongoing changes to it as more information and public comment comes to like, to keep the plan heading in the right direction, he said.
The website futurewaipa.co.nz will be available around the time the plan is released in mid-March, containing information on the 10-Year Plan for anyone who wishes to submit feedback to Waipa District Council.
Staff and elected members would also be talking to people at multiple community markets and events. Residents and ratepayers who want a printed version of the plan can call 0800 924 723 for a copy.