News Archive

A one-month period for public submissions on the Draft Community Plan closes at 3pm on Friday 08 May and by early today the Council had processed about 320 submissions.

The Draft sets out the direction the Northland Regional Council intends to take over the next decade and details a raft of initiatives including a proposal to help fund the region’s rescue helicopter service via a GST-inclusive annual region-wide rate of $8.56.

Deborah Ryder, the Council’s Local Government Project Manager, says although people have commented on a number of issues in their submissions, the proposed chopper rate has been by far the most commonly mentioned topic.  Of the roughly 320 submissions received and processed by the Regional Council to date, 219 had supported the rate and 38 had been opposed to it.

Another proposed new rate to help fund Whangarei’s public bus service (which would cost Whangarei District ratepayers an extra $12.83 each) attracted the next highest number of comments to date – 55; 38 opposing it and 17 in support.

Ms Ryder says the two-volume, roughly 400-page Draft also includes a proposal to further develop a Regional Growth Programme to deliver well-planned infrastructure, regionally co-ordinated economic development and sustainable management of the region’s environment.

Ms Ryder says with just a day remaining for public comment on the Draft, those who had not yet made submissions would need to do so quickly.

Online submissions can be made via www.nrc.govt.nz/ltccp

Copies of the Plan are available from all Council offices – in both hard copy or CD formats - or via the Council’s website www.nrc.govt.nz/ltccp