10 Year Plan hearings begin

The first day of hearings for Best of the West - Waitakere City Council’s Draft 10 Year Plan (2009-2019) got underway today with more than 140 people scheduled to make verbal submissions over the next week.

Hearings allow the public an opportunity to give their views on how the city will be shaped over the next decade, the council’s key priorities and projects and their estimated costs.

The plan incorporates a draft budget for 2009/10 which shows an indicative rates rise of 2.98 percent (around $1 a week for the average residential property).

Around 300 submissions were received this year, with the mobile library service, funding the Rugby World Cup, retrofitting houses with insulation, disposal of land surplus to requirement and the development of Wilsher retirement village among the issues attracting most responses.

Other popular items for submitters was funding of the Waitakere City Orchestra, parks planning, community safety (injury and crime prevention) and play facilities including skate parks and playgrounds.

People also used the opportunity to have their say on the issue of Auckland’s regional governance.

Janet Clews, chair of the council’s Long Term Community Plan and Annual Plan Committee, says councillors put a lot thought in to preparing the draft.

“We worked very hard to strike that balance between being fiscally responsible in tough economic times, while still investing in the future growth and development of the city.”

Councillors will deliberate on the draft between 5 June and 18 June before the final version is adopted on 30 June.