2024-34 Long Term Plan
What is the Long Term Plan?
The Long Term Plan documents all the Council's activities, and how they are paid for. The Long Term Plan also describes how each council will fulfil its responsibilities under the Local Government Act 2002 to:
- To enable democratic local decision making and action.
- To meet the current and future needs of communities for good quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory functions in a way that is most cost effective for most households and businesses.
It includes Council's community outcomes, and tells the community how the Council's activities will help achieve these outcomes.
The Long Term Plan:
- Is produced every three years.
- Sets out the Council's intended programme of activity for the next ten years.
- Details all of the Council's activities, and how activities contribute to community outcomes.
- Describes the levels of service being provided to the community for each activity and sets specific performance targets for each activity.
- Describes the local authority's financial strategy and infrastructure strategy, explaining what the local authority plans to spend over the next ten years, and how it will pay for its activities.
- Describes activities and expenditure in detail for the first three years, and outlines the performance targets for the next seven years.
- Is the Annual Plan for the first of the ten years (ie; 2024-25), and is used to determine the rates that are set for that year (2024-25).
Auditing
The Long Term Plan is audited by the Office of the Controller and Auditor-General. Auditors check that the Long Term Plan complies with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002, that the underlying information is robust and that the Plan is useful for its purpose. The auditor's report is published as part of the Long Term Plan. (Local Government Act s94)
Adoption
Council adopted the Long Term Plan on 2 September 2024.
Consultation on Long Term Plans
A Consultation Document (CD) was issued for public consultation on 11 April 2024 until 13 May 2024, and publicised appropriately to ensure people were aware of the document and have the opportunity to make a submission. Hearings for the submissions were held on 10–21 June 2024 with Council considering these in the week of 24 June 2024.
Annual Planning and Reporting
The Long Term Plan must be reviewed and re-evaluated every three years. In the intervening years, Council produces an Annual Plan to determine the rates for those years, and to signal any significant changes to the Long Term Plan. Annual Plans are subject to the same consultation process as the Long Term Plan for matters that are significant or material differences to the Long Term Plan for the financial year to which the Annual Plan relates. Council does not need to re-consult on matters already consulted upon for that financial year in the Long Term Plan.
Annual Reports are produced to detail Council's performance in the previous financial year, and are audited. It contains information about achievements, where money was spent, and how Council performed compared to the targets it set in the Long Term Plan.
