Update on community plan for Christchurch

The Council’s new draft community plan — Our Community Plan Christchurch OTautahi — was released last month for public comment. Although the consultation period on this year’s draft plan closed on 6 May, it is worth keeping in mind the process behind this important plan.

Our Community Plan Christchurch OTautahi contains much more than the Council’s financial information. Central to the plan is a set of community outcomes which describe what kind of community Christchurch wants to be — in terms of social, cultural, environmental, as well as financial aspects. Relating directly to the community outcomes is a description of the Council’s activities — what the Council will do to contribute towards achieving the outcomes.

Under the new Local Government Act, longterm (10-year) council community plans are due every three years (in the year prior to the local government elections, starting in 2006), with simplified annual plans produced in the intervening years. This year’s draft plan is a transitional one — our first full community plan will be prepared early 2006 to become effective from 1 July, 2006.

The Council wants people and organisations to help shape the city’s future by contributing towards our community plan. This includes feedback about the community outcomes, proposed Council activities as well as about the Council’s proposed expenditure.

Mary Richardson, the Council’s research and policy development manager, says the next step is to work with the public to refine the outcomes for Christchurch and the challenges and opportunities they throw up. That work will start later this year.

On Wednesday, 30 June the Council meets to finalise the 2004/14 community plan. Councillors will be hearing oral submissions from 1-11 June.