The growth study will be funded by the Government but the implementation strategy will be paid for by ratepayers. Horizons will likely commit $50,000 to it, while other councils' funding would be on a per capita basis.
At yesterday's Horizons Regional Council meeting in Wanganui, Councillor Murray Guy asked where the money would be coming from and why it hadn't been approved at a council meeting.
Horizons chief executive Michael McCartney said the money was there and had become available through other savings.
Mr Guy said it would be prudent to bring it before the council to be signed off and asked for an amendment to the resolution to do so. It was voted in favour of.
There was discussion about exactly what the study would look at too. Gordon McKellar said high speed broadband was a major requirement for rural areas and he wanted that looked at.
Horizons will formally vote on whether to commit $50,000 to the strategy at its November meeting.