Feedback wanted on draft plan
The Waharoa (Matamata) Aerodrome Committee will meet to discuss whether it needed to submit to the Matamata-Piako District Council’s draft 10-year plan.
The plan sets out the council’s priorities and how much it intends to spend over the next decade. It will be released to the public on March 28.
A consultation period will open until April 29 and a hearing to review submissions will be held on May 16 and if needed, May 17 as well.
The final plan had to be approved by the council by the end of June.
The aerodrome committee meets on Thursday to discuss the consultation document which will explain to the public the priorities of the draft 10-year plan.
The documented provided an overview of the key issues the council wanted community feedback on.
Some key issues were highlighted on the committee’s agenda report, written by the council’s acting senior policy planner Niall Baker. It included economic opportunities, vibrant cultural values, connected infrastructure, environmental sustainability and health communities.
In the vibrant cultural values section, the council proposed to increase funding for youth. It would include $10,000 each year of new funding to support the Matamata-Piako Volunteer Youth Ambassadors.
The council also wanted to increase community grants. It wanted to work with individual iwi to develop relationship agreements on how the council could engage with each iwi group.
‘‘These will sit alongside Treaty of Waitangi settlement agreements and other committees that council administers or participates in,’’ Baker’s agenda report said.
Other topics covered in draft plan consultation document included the council’s revenue and financing policy, fees and charges 2018/19, the rates remissions and postponements policies and the development contributions policy.
If the committee decided to make a submission, it may wish to present a submission to the council at the hearing on May 16.