Former Mayor Margaret Evans says there needs to be more doing and less reviewing when it comes to the council making the city a better place to live.
Her comments come as Hamilton City Council releases its draft 2014/15 Annual Plan for public submission.
"There are too many people clippingthe ticket, there are too many things that are based on far too formal a plan. Far too many reports get written and far too few get read," said Ms Evans.
She said it is interesting to compare where the city is now in relation to a strategic plan from her time as mayor.
"It is so simple. City keeping is about understanding that people can be very low-key in their enjoyment, just walking around somewhere beautiful.
"There is a real call to simplify, bring it back and even the current Government has had a review of red tape. It is interesting when we look at all the plans and ask 'how has it advanced?' "
The plan for 1995 to 2016 was laid out in a simple to read format on one A4 sheet of paper, as a reference for the council to refer to when making decisions.
Some current goals align with some of Ms Evans' council's previous vision, and aim to provide a prosperous and innovative city including having a strong economy, thriving CBD, making it easy to do business.
Some of those goals include the council's aim to embrace the Waikato River as the focal point of the city, to value and preserve Hamilton's natural green environment, and that Hamilton is a fun place to live with a vibrant arts scene.
No longer mentioned compared with the plan when Ms Evans was mayor includes access to affordable housing, working in partnership with tangata whenua, a city that values life-long education for life skills and economically valuable skills for all ages.
OPEN DAY The council will hold an open day for residents to find out more about what's planned for Hamilton over the next year. Council staff and elected members will be on hand at the council's customer service centre next Wednesday from 12.30-6pm to talk about the key proposals and budget.
