"What I'm sure we are all feeling right now are the ongoing effects of Covid-19, including constraints on the availability of resources, materials and supplies, alongside increasing inflation rates not seen in over three decades. These are impacting on the affordability of many of our plans and projects.
"With this evolving situation, and in order to balance that affordability, we need to be a bit more flexible in our approach to investment across our district.
"This means we're looking to reprioritise some of our projects and activities to later years, while focusing on delivering many of our projects already under way, including the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity afforded to us with Taupō Town Centre Transformation project."
David says by reprioritising projects, projected capital spend over the next 12 months can remain the same as what was planned.
"What we're asking for feedback on is whether you're comfortable with this more nimble approach – as we work through this fast-changing environment.
"Our Annual Plan consultation document goes into more detail about the major projects we had planned for the next 12 months and how the current climate has affected these – primarily in terms of costs and timing – and what we are proposing for these.
"Alongside this, we are also asking for feedback on updates to our fees and charges, the Taupō Towncentre management rate, and our significance and engagement policy which we have recently updated.
"Please take the time to read through our plans and the issues we have highlighted. We want to hear from you – our community – on whether you think we have this right, whether we have prioritised appropriately, and what is important to you."
To read the Annual Plan consultation document and to have your say head to taupo.govt.nz/haveyoursay.
