Final piece of youth plan out for comment

The needs of Hutt City children under the age of 11 have been explored in the second part of a wider Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP), which is now out for public comment.

The CYPP is a framework for how council can cater for children and young people in the city, from birth through to the age of 24. The 12–24 section of the plan was signed off by council in August; now the section on younger children is open for submission.

Policy Advisor Steve James says the CYPP has been developed on the back of wide-ranging consultation with local people and organisations, to determine young people’s needs and aspirations over the next 20 years, and how to consider the needs of the city’s youngest residents when it comes to council decision-making.

That consultation helped inform the draft CYPP, and prioritises the areas and activities for children the council should be involved in. Some of the key issues identified were access to early childhood education and community facilities, and the growing multicultural make-up of Hutt City.

Steve says population change is a key theme of the CYPP. “The next 20 years will see growth in the number of older residents in Hutt City, and a slight decline in children and young people. A priority of the CYPP is ensuring children and young people continue to have access to support and services in light of growing demand from the older population.”

The CYPP covers five key areas: safety; education, training and the economy; growth and development; environment; and social, wellbeing and culture. It looks at what’s already working well, issues to overcome, the role council can play, what other organisations and the community can do, as well as an overall goal for each area.

Steve says while the 0–11 section of the plan is comprehensive, people can still comment or suggest improvements. “We want to hear from the public about what else should be included in the plan, and what activities to prioritise.”

Public views and suggestions will be incorporated in the final CYPP, which will be adopted by council on 20 November. Attention will then turn to the implementation of the plan.

To view the CYPP go to the ‘current consultations’ section of www.huttcity.govt.nz.

Send your thoughts, and whether you would like to speak to your submission, to cypp@huttcity.govt.nz or to Children and Young People’s Plan, Hutt City Council, Private Bag 31 912, Lower Hutt 5040. Submissions close on 2 November.