The new water treatment plant, which is nearing completion. Photo / Michael Cunningham
The new water treatment plant, which is nearing completion. Photo / Michael Cunningham
FROM THE MAYOR'S DESK
Today officially marks the opening of our Long Term Plan (LTP) 2021-2031 consultation period.
The LTP is our road map for the next 10 years, setting direction on how we spend your money and what we focus our energies on. Do you want a new events facility? Do you wantmore action around climate change? How do you feel about our city centre? What about rates?
A key part of this consultation is how we pay for what we need to get done in the next 10 years. Last year we opted for an inflation-only rates increase of 2.2 per cent for 2020-2021, to help with the financial impacts of Covid-19.
To provide the levels of service we want, we need to catch up, so the proposed rates increase for 2021-2022 is 6.5 per cent (2.5 per cent of that being inflation). While this may seem like a big increase, it includes the 2 per cent catch up from last financial year.
Whangārei rates increases are part of the draft Long Term Plan. Photo / File
We held our first LTP meeting in Waipū on Wednesday last week, and the community involvement and level of interest we experienced there has set a great tone for the month ahead.
I will be at most of the LTP public meetings, as will many of your elected members, department managers from council, our senior leadership team and staff representatives. This month is all about connecting, listening and contributing to the big roadmap we call our Long Term Plan.
I'll take this opportunity to update you on some of our current projects. If you've walked around the Loop lately or visited the Town Basin, you'll have noticed the big development happening next to the Canopy Bridge. This is our new Town Basin Park, and it's already well under way. The amphitheatre has been completed, grass is growing well between the seating blocks, and the concrete foundations have been poured for the water feature and toilets.
Many underground services have already been installed (water, sewer, stormwater and electrical), and tree planting will be happening in autumn and spring,
We're asking our community to help with naming this new park, so if you have name suggestions that reflect the historic and cultural importance of the site, please let us know. The name will be revealed at the park opening.
Residents in Whau Valley will know all about our new water treatment plant, which is currently being commissioned. This has been a long project and it's great to be nearing completion.
We're connecting all the technology and ensuring all parts are working together seamlessly, before we activate it for full use. If you live or work near Rust Ave, you can't miss the progress on the Civic Centre Project.
This building will be
a four-storey hub for all civic processes, services and personnel. It's well under way now, with around half a third of the steel piles already driven into the site (good news for those, like me, who work or live close by).
These projects featured in our last Long Term Plan, it is so good to see them coming to fruition. Now is the time for you to share in the shaping of our future plans. Me korero – let's talk!
