900 Submissions to Tasman District Council’s Draft Long Term Plan

Wednesday 11 April 2012

The Council received nearly 900 submissions by the time the submission period closed last week.

The main subjects within the submissions were the Saxton cycleway, the Riwaka to Kaiteriteri Road, Tasman’s Great Taste Cycle Trail, the Lee Valley Dam and the Takaka Aerodrome.

“The number of submissions received reflects the public interest in the Long Term Plan process and the willingness of people to engage with the Council,” said Tasman Mayor Richard Kempthorne.

“The number of submissions received on any subject, while reflecting the weight of opinion behind an issue, must be supported by the quality of the analysis in the submission and the Councillors must now balance the submission with the cost and needs of the District as a whole.”

“It is a difficult exercise, perhaps the most difficult, Councillors and staff have to deal with – delivering on the wishes of the community at the most affordable cost to ratepayers. “

“Having gone through a rigorous priority setting exercise to develop the draft plan we now have to revisit the plan with an open mind to finalise it in light of the submissions received. The verbal presentations in support of submissions play a valuable role in this exercise.”

“The verbal submissions give Councillors the opportunity to question submitters which sometimes leads to identifying ways the objective of the submission can be achieved in an affordable and timely way.”

Copies of the submissions are available in all Tasman District Council offices and libraries.