What is a Long-term Plan?

The Long-term Plan describes our work (or activity) and the broader results (or community outcomes) that are expected from doing this work. It has a strong financial focus showing the resources needed to deliver the work and the approach to ensure that resources are available. The LTP provides detailed activities for the first three years and less detail to year 10. Council reviews the detail of the LTP each financial year and adjusts it where needed. This is done via the Annual Plan process and is publicly consulted if the adjustments are significant.

It is done in consultation with the community with 100’s of people and organisations providing written submissions about the proposed work and how it is funded (e.g., we fund these activities through different funding sources, including rates).

The LTP process enables Council to look at all our activities and take a strategic perspective on how our services align with perceived priorities. The important decisions in the LTP process includes:

•  Setting out our role regarding key issues and our partnerships
•  What the key priorities are regarding those issues
•  The service response and resource allocation (e.g., should we stop an activity, do more of the same activity, or a new activity)
•  Our finance strategy, which sets out how we will fund services over the long term
•  A 30-year Infrastructure Strategy focused on flood and drainage activity
•  Key statements of service performance (i.e., activity measures and targets)

It’s important to note that the scope of the LTP process does not typically include the review of our other strategic documents or plans (e.g. Regional Policy Statement; Regional Plan Land and Water, Regional Pest Management Plan, Biodiversity Strategy, Transport Plans, etc). These other documents sit in the background informing Council and others about our direction, priorities and sometimes desired actions.

At an organisation-level the process also provides an opportunity to better integrate business (or activity) planning and co-ordinate resources.

The results of this decision-making are reflected in the LTP and it ultimately provides a basis for our accountability to you, our community.

 

Long-term Plan 2021-2031

In May 2021 the elected Regional Councillors considered public submissions on the LTP 2021-31 and made recommendations on the consultation topics. The LTP came into effect on 1 July 2021 and included the final decisions listed below:

1. ​Pest management – maintained the preferred option for improving pest management. Many submitters asked us to do even more, but we were mindful of the further impact on rates.
   
   
2. Lake Hayes – our three options included: option 1 (preferred), a new targeted rate for Lake Hayes; option 2, fund via existing river and water management targeted rate; option 3, a new uniform targeted rate.
   
   Council changed from its preferred option 1 to option 2, with the latter being applied for years 1 and 2 of the LTP. This decision reflected feedback that supported a regional perspective to funding waterway remediation. Option 2 is a step towards a regional / less targeted approach. More work is required to determine what funding approach occurs after year 2, however it is clear from your feedback that an agreed regional work programme is needed for an equitable solution.
   
   
3. Balanced budget – maintained the preferred option for achieving a balanced budget through rating now, rather debt and paying more later. In addition to the points above, there were requests to further increase services and associated rate funding beyond what was consulted. The final increase was kept very close to what was consulted. Total average rates increase (across all rate types):
   •  48.5% year 1 (compared to consulted 47.5%)
   •  18% year 2 (17%)
   •  12% year 3 (10.6%)
   
   
4. From submissions – as we considered your feedback, it was clear we could still do more to better support your priorities for our region. We decided to:
   •  Accelerate our integrated catchment management
   •  Develop a lakes strategy
   •  Establish a harbour plan
   •  Subsidise consent fees for some community environmental restoration projects

 

Summary of year 1 - services and funding

The following file summarises the services you receive across the region and the rates ORC collects to pay for these services. 

Detailed documents and information

To find out how to submit on an Annual Plan or Long-term Plan, click here.

Long-term Plan 2021-2031 Submissions

 

Previous Long-term Plan