Waipā District Council is preparing its 2025-34 Long Term Plan (LTP).
Jo Davies-Colley
The plan is a comprehensive and complex strategic document which sets the direction for the district over a 10 year period and is formally reviewed every three years. It describes the activities of council and directs how those activities are managed, delivered and funded for the following 10 years. This time around the LTP is for nine years only, as the council adopted an Enhanced Annual Plan this year.
I have been attending the LTP workshops on behalf of the community board to improve the board’s partnership with council on the LTP. It has been evident during the workshops that council staff working on this project are doing their utmost to ensure that the current levels of service and infrastructure are of a standard that we have come to expect and enjoy in Waipā.
It is, however, a tough time economically for many organisations and households and council is not immune to that either. We will see this reflected in rates, the deferral of many community projects such as a new Cambridge library and community hub, and a reduction in community funding and grants.
At our community board meeting on Wednesday, we invited Ken Morris, chief financial officer, to come and provide further clarity on some questions we had on the current draft LTP budget. We had a good discussion and I would encourage you to watch our meeting online for further details. Our first question was around rates increases. Factors pushing our rates up include, but are not limited to, an increase in gas prices (up 96 per cent), increased operating costs in core council services, increased maintenance costs on council buildings, our Cambridge pool and Town Hall, as well as servicing the high interest expenses, mostly relating to current debt levels.
Work on the LTP continues and elected members will be asked to approve the draft document which will provide more clarity for the community. In March and April, the Waipā community will also have an opportunity to provide feedback on the plan.
In 2023, the council began working on the Leamington Domain Masterplan with significant community engagement. The board has been involved both at the early community engagement phase as well having the opportunity to input into the design process. In February 2024, the Council endorsed the final masterplan and while there is no allocated funding for the master plan to be implemented in its entirety, council did allocate funding for a destination playground in the current LTP.
The great news is that the draft design for this playground is nearly complete with construction expected to start in early 2025. The community board submission on the playground design included recommendations for water play and accessible equipment, as well as retaining the key features that are loved by our community. The design is shaping up to be an incredible play space with improved seating, shade and a diverse range of inclusive equipment as well as strong storytelling around the heritage of the area and connection to mana whenua. As we look towards an austere LTP, this will be a welcome project for our community to enjoy.
Jo Davies-Colley lays a wreath at the foot of the Fred Graham statue in Cambridge.
