Annual Plan consultation begins

Dunedin (Thursday, 24 March 2016) – Should we be spending more on economic development in Dunedin and/or boosting funding for community grants?

These are some of the questions the Dunedin City Council is asking residents as part of its 2016/17 Annual Plan and budget consultation, which opens today.

Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says recent changes to the law mean the Council is taking a different approach to how it seeks feedback from residents on what should be included in the 2016/17 Annual Plan.

“Just last year we went through a rigorous process developing a 10 year Long Term Plan (LTP), which sets out the city’s financial and strategic path. This year we are asking the community to comment largely on things we are proposing to add or change.”

Some of the proposed changes are things that have already been discussed with the community and agreed on, but were either not funded in the LTP or not funded beyond the current 2015/16 year. Examples include the funding proposed for GigCity, UNESCO City of Literature and Dunedin’s Arts and Culture and Environment Strategies.

Mr Cull says the planned increase in economic development resourcing is effectively a return of funding taken out several years ago because of budget constraints.

“The proposed $790,000 increase in funding is largely community driven. One of the consistent messages emerging from residents is that job creation and business encouragement are vital for Dunedin. Our business sector is also telling us we need to market the city better to visitors and businesses.”

Funding has also been provided for investigations into South Dunedin groundwater/ sea level rise issues, and to investigate coastal erosion in other areas. Other proposed funding includes an extra $120,000 for community grants because there are always more requests than money available.

These suggested changes can be achieved within the proposed 2.9% rates rise.

The consultation document is now available at www.dunedin.govt.nz/2016AP. Public consultation on the Annual Plan closes at 5pm on 20 April. People are encouraged to provide their feedback early and, if possible, use the online form.

A snapshot of what is proposed, presented in a map fold newsletter, will be delivered to every Dunedin household. Information will also be available at DCC service centres and libraries and at the Customer Services Agency in the Civic Centre.

There will also be a public meeting and workshop, and six drop-in sessions with the opportunity for face-to-face discussion with Councillors. These will be held around the wider city during the consultation period.

Comments on the DCC Facebook page and tweets to @DnCityCouncil using #DunedinAP will also be considered as feedback.

The consultation period will be followed by hearings and deliberations in May and a final Annual Plan will be adopted by the Council in June.

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