Recycling on agenda as council starts deliberations on 3754 submissions

Rotorua District councillors are about to commence a two-day Finance Committee meeting (Wednesday 9 June and Thursday 10 June) to go through 3754 public submissions on the council’s draft 2010/11 annual plan, the proposed air quality control bylaw, and a draft waste management and minimisation plan.

Councillors have already spent the last few weeks reading through each of the submissions and attending three full days of hearings to listen to presentations from submitters.

The next phase kicks off the decision-making process for the various issues on which the public have recently been consulted, including rates for the 2010/11 year, and what form the district’s recycling services will take in the future.

Council Finance Committee chairman Charles Sturt said the standout topic by ‘a country mile’ had been the council’s preference to extend drop-off recycling facilities in the district rather than introduce kerbside recycling.

That issue had been referred to in 90% of the submissions and there had been strong argument both for and against. However a majority of submissions favoured extending drop-off recycling services rather than introducing kerbside recycling he said.

“We have also received submissions on other issues as diverse as library book renewal funding, purchase of a new grand piano for the convention centre, the draft air quality control bylaw and a proposed cycleway from Rotorua to Orakei Korako.

“I’ve no doubt that there will be some robust and passionate debate amongst my council colleagues when we sit down together to work through these matters, and I’m certainly looking forward to that,” said Cr Sturt.

“This year has seen the largest number of submissions ever received by RDC and in my view they also represent the highest quality feedback we’ve ever seen. I’m delighted with the numerical response and I’ve been very impressed by the well articulated points made by many of the submitters.

“Having so many Rotorua people taking the time to give the council feedback is vital for our decision-making process and it’s a great example of democracy in action. We are grateful to everyone who has shared their views with the council over recent weeks.

“Now the really hard part of the process commences as we have to make decisions that are in the overall best interests of the wider community.

"We’re under no illusions about being able to ‘please all of the people all of the time,’” said Mr Sturt. “We know we have to make some tough choices and some compromises, but in the end they will be decisions that are good for the district and good for the vast majority of our residents.”

Cr Sturt said the two full days of Finance Committee meetings at the RDC Civic Centre on 9 and 10 June (9.30am – 5pm) are open to the public and anyone interested was welcome to attend on either day.

Recommendations from the two day Finance Committee meeting will go to a meeting of the full council on 29 June for final consideration and formal adoption.

ENDS

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