Date: 22 March, 2012

Have say on Draft Long Term Plan, including flood proposals

This week’s torrential rain and the flooding it caused is a timely reminder for Northlanders to have their say proposals for millions of dollars of flood protection work around the region, the Northland Regional Council says.

A one-month submission period for people to comment on the regional council’s Draft Long Term Plan 2012-2022 began on Monday this week (subs: 19 March) – coincidentally, the same day the region was being battered by massive downpours and gale force winds.

Council chairman Craig Brown says the draft contains proposals for millions of dollars of ratepayer-funded flood protection works in the urban Whangarei, Kerikeri-Waipapa, Kaeo and Awanui areas.

“The irony of us starting a formal submission period seeking people’s views on whether they’d support these works on the very same day floods were beginning to affect many parts of the region isn’t lost on my fellow councillors and I!”

Mr Brown says the draft contains proposals for a $6.98 million detention dam to reduce flooding impacts in urban Whangarei, for river maintenance and $2.13 million of flood protection in the Kerikeri-Waipapa area and for another $600,000 worth of flood reduction works in Kaeo.

It’s also proposing a $100,000 upgrade to the Waihoe floodgates to reduce flood impacts around Lake Tangonge (to be funded from existing rates) and scoping options for further reducing flood risks around the Awanui River . (The latter could involve about $3.92 million of upgrades, although consultation on that won’t occur for another two years or so, once details are firmed up.)

Mr Brown says the council recently began distributing about 65,000 copies of a 16-page summary of the draft plan to mailboxes right across the region, as a special edition of the council’s Regional Report.

That summary highlights some of the new initiatives and big changes being proposed in the Draft Long Term Plan and also outlines Northland’s Draft Regional Land Transport Programme 2012-2015, which is open for public consultation at the same time.

The special edition Regional Report contains a form so people can submit feedback on both the Draft Long Term Plan and the transport programme. People can also make an online submission on the council’s website: www.nrc.govt.nz/haveyoursay

Mr Brown says while flooding is obviously fresh in most people’s minds, the flood works are just some of a raft proposals outlined in the Draft Long Term Plan, which runs to more than 300 pages and has been almost 12 months in the making.

Among some of the other proposals are:

• Slowing the move of the council’s investment income from rates subsidies into economic development
• Putting in place criteria and structure to better deliver on the council’s increased economic development focus
• Options for funding public bus services in Kaitaia and Dargaville
• Implementing the government’s new direction for improving the quality of our freshwater
• Selling some of the council’s 21-year lease properties in Whangarei
• Reducing funding support to Destination Northland
• Ongoing support for the region’s rescue helicopter service.
• Mr Brown says councillors have worked hard to try to deliver a draft plan that’s financially sustainable for ratepayers and the current consultation is a real chance for Northlanders to influence what the council does - and how it’s paid for - over the next decade.

“We need to hear from as many people as possible; what we’re doing well, what we could be doing better and whether they think they’re getting value for their rates dollar.”

He says the full Draft Long Term Plan 2012-2022 – and the summary - can be viewed online via www.nrc.govt.nz/haveyoursay or as hard copies at regional council’s offices and at public libraries.

“We’re also trialling an online discussion forum for residents to share views and discuss the proposals. That forum can also be reached through www.nrc.govt.nz/haveyoursay “

Public submissions end at 3pm on Thursday 19 April.

ENDS

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