Ann: GENERAL: AKC: Auckland Council's first

• Release Date: 24/02/12 13:21
• Summary: GENERAL: AKC: Auckland Council's first draft Long-term Plan
• Price Sensitive: No
• Download Document  3.54KB

					

AKC
24/02/2012 11:21
GENERAL

REL: 1121 HRS Auckland Council

GENERAL: AKC: Auckland Council's  first draft Long-term Plan

Have your say on creating a better future for Auckland
Aucklanders can now have their say on proposals included in Auckland
Council's
first draft Long-term Plan (LTP) 2012-2022.

Submissions open today on the document which outlines council's prioritised
activities and projects over the next 10 years.

"Staff and councillors have scrutinised and debated the content of this first
10-year
plan for months, now we want to hear the community's views," says Chair of
the
Strategy and Finance Committee, Councillor Penny Webster.

"If you go to your local park, enjoy a free community event, or like
attending one of
our fabulous community galleries, the draft LTP includes information about
how we
plan to support and develop these in the future."

Through the draft Long-term Plan, people can find out what investment is
proposed
for local projects including libraries, parks, stormwater and flood
protection, heritage,
arts and culture, community development and road and footpaths.

At a regional level, the council proposes a range of projects aimed at
boosting
Auckland's economy, unlocking public transport and unclogging roads and
enhancing the region's urban and natural environments.

"This is the beginning of Auckland's transformation," says Cr Webster.

The draft LTP also looks at how council manages its finances including
changes to
regulatory fees and charges, such as dog registration fees and the move to a
single
rating system.

"Implementing a new rating system that is fair across the board is a major
challenge
and we know that, for some people, there will be significant increases but we
have
proposed several options to minimise those increases," says Cr Webster.

Overall the council is projecting a low 3.6 per cent rates increase. However,
the
move from eight different systems to a single system will mean differing
levels of
change for different property owners. Auckland Council is requesting the
government make a minor change to the Auckland legislation to stop people
facing steep changes in rates as a result of amalgamation.

To give people an overview of how the proposed changes and how they could
impact on their rates in 2012/13 the council has developed an online rate
guide.
Submissions close at 4pm, 23 March 2012.  For more information, to make an
online
submission and to access the rate guide, go to:
www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/longtermplan

The plan can be viewed online, at council libraries, service centres and
local board
offices.   A summary, including a submission form, is also being delivered to

households this weekend and also available online.

Draft Regional Land Transport Programme
At the same time, Auckland Transport is consulting on its draft Regional Land

Transport Programme (RLTP).

This programme lists all the planned transport activities across the city for
the next
three years and is used to prioritise applications for government funding.

To find out more about the draft RLTP go to
www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/rltp.
Information and a combined submission form is also included in the draft LTP

summary document delivered to residents.

Copies of the draft RLTP available at libraries, service centres and local
board
offices and from Auckland Transport, 6 Henderson Valley Rd, Henderson.

Ends
For media assistance on the RLTP:
Sharon Hunter
Auckland Transport
021 545 230

For media assistance on the LTP:
Angela Jones
Auckland Council
021 227 7985
End CA:00219983 For:AKC    Type:GENERAL    Time:2012-02-24 11:21:44