Hundreds have their say on Whangarei District Council's Long Term Plan

Whangarei District Council is hearing from almost 150 people who opted to speak to their submission on the Long Term Plan. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Almost 150 people will get their chance to tell Whangarei's councillors their thoughts on the council's Long Term Plan.

Whangarei District Council received 653 individual submissions to its 2018-2028 Long Term Plan from members of the public, organisations, groups or businesses.

148 submitters said they wanted to speak to their submission in the hearing. The first hearing was held on Friday, when more than 50 people spoke in the council chambers. Another 42 people are planned to speak today.

Of the 653 submissions, 133 were bulk submissions relating to four topics.

Bulk submissions are when the same submissions have been submitted by multiple people or groups.

There were 33 submissions about the Northland Football Hub, 31 about Trigg Arena, 61 about Bream Bay United Football Club and eight about Attwood Rd seal extensions.

There were also two petitions. Eight hundred people signed a submission by the Ruakaka Recreation Centre requesting funding for a new recreation centre and 36 Hemsdale Rd residents signed a submission requesting a seal extension on their road.

Thirty-eight submissions related to the concurrent consultation documents. Those documents are the proposed fees and charges 2018-2019, and the statement of proposals for rates remission and postponement policy and early payment of rates policy, revenue and financial policy and development contributions policy.

Submissions on the Long Term Plan closed on April 8. A Have Your Say event was held on April 5. The council will deliberate the submissions before adopting the final Long Term Plan on June 28.