Canterbury councils can defer long term plans

Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide today announced that Cabinet had agreed to an Order in Council which allows Canterbury based councils to defer their long-term planning and accountability responsibilities.

“Under this Order, Christchurch City Council, Canterbury Regional Council, Selwyn District Council, and Waimakariri District Council can choose to defer adopting a new long term plan until 2013,” Mr Hide said.

“If the councils do decide to wait, they must ensure the public can participate in decisions about council services, and provisions in the current long-term plans relevant to council decision-making will remain in force.

“This Order supports councils and communities in the greater Christchurch area to manage the situation they are facing. It will help councils to co-ordinate their planning with the broader Canterbury Recovery Strategy and recovery plans, and allow them to prioritise resources towards the recovery planning process. Good information on the condition of Canterbury’s infrastructure is essential for long term planning and this Order will provide more time for councils to gather and analyse this information,” Mr Hide said.

Under the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2010 councils must prepare a long-term plan every three years. The next plan is due when current ones expire on 30 June 2012. If any of the Canterbury councils decide to defer their long-term plans, they will need to adopt one before 1 July 2013, and it will need to cover a period of not less than nine years (to 2022).

Current long term plan provisions that are relevant to council decision-making, such as funding and financial policies will remain in force. Other provisions relating to information about levels of services provided for certain activities and the long-term plan will need to be included in the 2012/13 annual plan.

The Order comes into effect on 1 December 2011 and expires 1 July 2015.