Strategic Planning

The Strategic Planning Activity provides the overall, long-term direction for the district. It includes the development of the Long-Term Plan, and intervening Annual Plans. The Strategic Planning Team manages these documents and the public consultative processes. As part of their functions the team is responsible for reviewing the community outcomes and a number of key policies.

strategic planning contributes by

• Support provision of compliant local governance
• Administer community funding programmes. Communicate Council decisions

– in action – 

Sustainable Growth Strategy (also known as The Far North’s Future 30/50 Project)

What we said we would do in 2013/14

Draft scenarios will be prepared based on the research phase and will go out for consultation. Adoption is expected in late 2013 or early 2014.

What we did in 2013/14

Following a series of workshops, Council decided at this stage not to release the findings of the research phase to the public, or the draft possible future scenarios. The Sustainable Growth Strategy project team has progressed with an evaluation of the alternative approaches to development with a single sustainable development strategy for the District being developed. A draft outline was developed, for consideration by Council.

What we plan to do in 2014/15

Finalise the Growth Strategy

– what we have achieved in 2013/14 –  

Growth Strategy

Prepared and presented six alternative development scenarios (as options this Council could take), and shortlisted four to be fully developed for analysis. Prepared an evaluation framework to assess the relative merits (pros and cons, costs and benefits) of the alternative development options.

Workshops with Council and with General Management Team led to refined thinking on the purpose of the project, and on the nature of the products required of the process.

Work associated with implementation programming were able to be incorporated into the draft Annual Plan 2014/15.

Annual Plan 2014/15

Completed the Annual Plan 2014/15 on time.

– where are we now? – 

Growth Strategy

• Limited progress on developing Local Area Blueprints.
• Critical information gaps were identified (in relation to land use/zoning and infrastructure capacity and condition assessments) – which could not be addressed in the current year.

Local Government Act

• Early 2014 Government released amendments to the Local Government Act which affected a number areas of business and in particular development contributions. The Council made a submission on the bill which is presented to the select committee by the Mayor. Unfortunately our suggestions were not adopted in the final bill.

- key priorities planned for 2014/15 –

Forward Planning

It is very important that the Far North has a clear vision for the future, as this will help ensure cohesive and focused decision making that will have positive and sustainable long term outcomes. Council will undertake a visioning exercise, working with Far North communities, that will provide a foundation for all strategic planning, both within and outside of Council. The impact of the amendments to the Local Government Act reflect the new infrastructure and core services focus. These include:

• Significance and Engagement policy, which introduces new requirements about how Council will consult
• More detailed and complex consultation document
• 30 year strategy for infrastructure, including financial impact
• Development Contributions
• Mandatory performance measures for Core Services.

¹ Please refer to the Strategic Planning section of the Long-Term Plan (LTP) 2012/13 and the Annual Plans 2013/14 and 2014/15 for further information on priorities