Council to consider draft development plan
A REPORT on Waitaki’s ‘‘ambitious’’ new economic development strategy will be presented to councillors next month.
Waitaki District Council chief executive Alex Parmley said consulting firm Polis had completed its work, and the draft plan would be presented to councillors to adopt on June 7.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher announced the council would be undertaking a review of its economic development and tourism delivery in August last year. At the time, Mr Kircher said the council believed the district’s tourism and economic development activity could be delivering better value for ratepayers and more measurable benefits.
In December, councillors approved a budget of $200,0000, and contracted Polis to develop a strategy which would ‘‘optimise’’ economic development and tourism outcomes and inform investment planning in the district. It would also review how the council, Tourism Waitaki and partners were best set up to deliver it.
Mr Parmley said he had asked Polis to come up with an ‘‘ambitious’’ plan — ‘‘and I think that’s what we’re going to get’’.
‘‘It’s dealing with all of these key issues and challenges within our economy, but also positively looking forward.’’
He emphasised that it was not an economic development plan for the council — ‘‘councils don’t grow economies’’ — it was for the entire district.
‘‘We have a role in helping to enable the growth of the economy and so it’s a plan for the district in terms of implementation. We see ourselves working very closely with the business sector and with others to realise the ambitions that we set out in this strategy.’’
He was pleased with the level of engagement there had been in the process, involving Te Runaka o Moeraki, business leaders and other groups representing the diversity of the economy.
‘‘We’ve got businesses and businesspeople in the district that are ambitious for what they want to do and for what they want to see happen in the district.’’
Once the draft strategy was adopted, the council would reengage with those who had been involved in its development, and others, on the proposals. Councillors had already had an informal briefing on the strategy.