MDC’s Long-term Plan is adopted

The Manawatū District Council’s Long-term Plan was officially adopted in today’s Council meeting.

The document now goes through finishing touches from our design team and within 30 days, the Long-term Plan will be publicly available online.

As a Council, we have worked hard to keep our levels of service at their current standards.  Given we have invested well into our core infrastructure over many years, we are proud to be one of the few councils in New Zealand with a single digit rate rise at 7.09%

Our four consultation issues created strong discussion both in our community and around the Council table.  Taking on multiple views it was resolved that:

• roading differentials are to be removed gradually over a three-year period to share the cost in renewing and maintaining roads more evenly across ratepayers.
• Kōwhai Park Aviaries will close, and display gardens are to be planted in their place. Council will continue discussions with the Avicultural Society on alternative options.
• parking limit enforcement to encourage more frequent turn-over of parking spaces will be funded through a 75% General Rate and 25% Central Business District Targeted Rate
• revenue and financing funding mixes were evaluated, and it was resolved that a greater proportion of user fees will contribute to the funding mix for services such as Building Control and Solid Waste.

I thank our community for joining us on this journey - for taking the time to attend public events, to write submissions and speak to these in front of Council, which can be a daunting experience.

Council has in turn deliberated over each submission and created a Long-term Plan that continues to build the foundations for shared confidence, investment and improved wellbeing for our Manawatū District residents.

I look forward to the next ten years!

Mayor Helen Worboys