1278 have say on council plan for next 10 years

NRC chairman Bill Shepherd

A new 10-year plan outlining Northland Regional Council's work for the next decade and how it will be paid for is expected to be formally adopted in mid-June.

The council received 1278 submissions on its long-term plan 2015-25 and councillors recently reviewed those.

Key issues that attracted a large number of submissions included funding for emergency services, rating levels overall (a 5 per cent increase was proposed for the 2015-16 year), a mid-North bus trial and pest management at Whangarei Heads.

NRC chairman Bill Shepherd said that, as well as hundreds of written submissions, councillors also heard from 54 submitters at feedback meetings in Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Kaikohe and Whangarei.

"We've had some big decisions to make which will affect ratepayers at a collective regional, local community and personal level, and the public feedback has been invaluable as we've debated these issues around the council table," he said.

Funding for emergency services had attracted the largest number of comments on any one issue, with responses from 772 submitters.

"Essentially, there was a roughly even split between submitters keen to retain the existing funding regime for the region's helicopter service and those who wanted to see development of a larger, fully contestable fund open to other emergency services instead."

Mr Shepherd said that issue alone had highlighted a constant tension for councillors attempting to strike the right balance. Councillors are expected to formally adopt a final long-term plan at the next full monthly meeting, in Whangarei on June 16.