‘Big topics’ spur record response
Council hails 608 submissions on draft long-term plan
Whanganui District Council says it has received an “extraordinary” response to its draft longterm plan for 2021-31. A total of 608 submissions were received by the end of the consultation period on Friday, April 30.
Council corporate group manager Stephanie MacdonaldRose said the “big topics” outlined in the consultation document were of high interest and many people wanted to express their views on the future of the Whanganui velodrome.
“We are really pleased with the high level of engagement from our community,” she said.
“I can’t recall receiving this number of submissions to a longterm plan in recent years.”
Macdonald-Rose said people were also “passionate” about Whanganui’s coastal environment, library facilities and provision of youth spaces and places.
“We made a point of holding a wide range of engagement events in the community this year which were well publicised.”
Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall said he was pleased with
the face-to-face engagement.
“We had some fantastic conversations with the community and had strong support at events from staff, elected members, and the youth committee,” McDouall said.
“Some elected members also held their own community events and
discussions to hear directly from members of the public, and special mention should be made of members of the youth committee who spent hours encouraging submissions at outdoor events, were very active on social media, and made themselves available for radio interviews.”
Two days of hearings will take place this week — tomorrow and Thursday, starting at 9am both days.
The hearings will be live-streamed on the council’s Facebook page and on the Whanganui District Council website.
“A large number of people are keen to speak to their submissions and the hearings will be very full days for all involved,” McDouall said.
The volume of submissions is available to the public and can be viewed on the Whanganui District Council website.
Deliberations will take place later on Tuesday, May 25, and Wednesday, May 26, with the plan scheduled to be adopted on Tuesday, June 22.