Objectives, outcomes, values and areas of focus

About our objectives

As part of its long-term planning processes, the council must consider what contribution it will make to the region, and what that contribution is intended to achieve. The council has considered its role, and identified what outcomes it is seeking for the region.

These council objectives are described below, providing a statement about the direction the council wishes to take in making a meaningful contribution to the region.

The objectives cover:

• what we want the region to be like – this is the set of outcomes we want to achieve for our regional community,
• what we want the organisation to be like – this is the set of values that underpin the way we conduct our business,
• what we are here to do – this is the set of focus areas we have for the activities we are involved in delivering.

This can be illustrated by the following diagram. The council's community outcomes will inform not only its priorities for the activities it is involved in, but also the values by which the organisation will conduct its business. In other words, everything the council plans to do is driven by this set of objectives.

A number of factors have influenced the direction we have set, including:

• what our communities have told us they want;
• what progress is or is not being made to achieve that;
• issues facing the region;
• national policy mandates and priorities; and
• our own understandings as representatives of our communities.

Community outcomes

Community outcomes means the outcomes that the council aims to achieve in meeting the current and future needs of communities for good quality local infrastructure, local public services and performance of regulatory services. (Local Government Act 2002, s.5).

These are the outcomes we want to achieve for the region:

1. Northland's overall environment is maintained or improved with an emphasis on encouraging the sustainable access to and use of resources.
2. Northland has strong local government leadership ensuring safe and resilient communities.
3. Northland is promoted effectively.

Council values

Our council values set out what we want the organisation to be like – the way we conduct our business:

1. We are a positive and customer-friendly organisation; and
2. We progressively increase the engagement of Northlanders' in our activities.

Areas of focus

Areas of focus outline the over-arching priorities for the services we deliver. We will:

1. Develop meaningful and inclusive relationships with iwi and tangata whenua within Te Rohe o Te Taitokerau;
2. Provide a business-friendly environment;
3. Maximise returns to the community from funds invested and effective use of assets; and
4. Identify, promote or invest in regionally significant infrastructure.

The areas of focus are presented in the diagram below.