Contents. Section 1: Introduction Council s Long Term Plan. Section 2: What are the Proposed Key Changes we are Consulting on?

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2 Contents Section 1: Introduction Council s Long Term Plan Section 2: What are the Proposed Key Changes we are Consulting on? Section 3: Changes already made from previous LTP s Section 4: Council s Infrastructure and Levels of Service Section 5: Council s Finances Section 6: Obtaining Further Information Section 7: Report from Auditor General Section 8: Have Your Say Make a Submission

3 Section 1: Introduction Council s Long Term Plan The Plan and its Drivers Every NZ local authority is required by law to prepare and consult upon a Long Term Plan (LTP) at least every three years, which outlines the actions and activities which that Council proposes to undertake over the next 10 years, and the associated implications for residents and ratepayers. Otorohanga District Council prepared such an LTP in 2015, covering the period, but a further amended LTP was also subsequently prepared in 2017 to reflect a number of new proposed Council projects that had been introduced in response to potential major developments in the Otorohanga District including a proposed substantial expansion of Waikeria Prison, which collectively had the potential to create 600 new jobs within our boundaries. A recent strategic review has confirmed the desire of Council for a continuing focus on facilitating growth in the District, but has also added the following further directive elements: 1. That the primary focus in respect of stimulating economic growth in the District should be on facilitating population increase through the provision of additional housing to meet the strong demand that currently exists in the region. 2. That a greater focus was needed on building the resilience of the District and the Council that serves it, and this is likely to require new approaches that may have higher associated costs. 3. That greater consideration needs to be given to the diverse identities and needs of our communities, and that improved engagement with those communities (and in particular with Iwi) is necessary if this is to be achieved. Council has retained its vision for the Otorohanga District to be a place where Kiwis can fly a strong, energetic, imaginative and supportive community where residents have the opportunity to achieve their aspirations. The recent strategic review has resulted in some small changes to the objectives that Council considered particularly important for the achievement of this vision, and these key objectives are now briefly described as follows: Use Resources Efficiently: Council and the District must ensure that it makes the best possible use of the physical, social, economic and cultural resources available to it. Support Young and Old: Both young and older people will be increasingly important in the future of the District, and initiatives that benefit these groups should be encouraged and where appropriate supported. Enable Economic Growth: Opportunities for the development of additional housing and businesses should be facilitated, and the growth of existing businesses supported. Enrich Our Local Identity: We should establish a greater sense of who we are in our District, that reflects our predominantly rural character, our history and the diversity of our communities. Build Community Resilience: The world is changing and the systems, organisations and processes that may have served well in the past may need to be changed to ensure that they are efficient and sustainable in the future.

4 Growth Focus Section 2: What are the Proposed Key Changes we are Consulting on? The LTP was based upon an assumption of little if any significant economic or population growth in the District, but potential major new projects have created the prospect of both. These projects would together have construction costs in the order of $1 billion, with the growth of prison inmates alone increasing district population by 1500, but perhaps more significant is the potential of the new projects to grow non-inmate population by perhaps as many as 500 people over the next 4 to 5 years. The amended LTP contained initiatives that reflected this move into a growth environment, in particular Council funded subdivision of land to provide in the order of 60 new residential lots in or around the Otorohanga Community, and the establishment of a reticulated wastewater system for the main street of Kawhia. Council has however been dependent on various private parties for these projects to progress, and in the case of the Kawhia project a lack of commitment from such parties has now made it unlikely that the project will proceed, and it therefore has been removed from the draft LTP. The residential subdivision projects in Otorohanga have also not proceeded as was hoped because of issues associated with private parties, but despite delays Council is continuing to pursue a 43 lot extension of the Westridge subdivision in Otorohanga in conjunction with a property developer, and this remains a priority in the proposed LTP. The likely total cost to Council is expected to be in the order of $4.5 million, of which $500,000 is planned to be spent in the 2017/18 year, but this cost would be progressively recovered through the sale of the created sections. This will be funded by external debt raising of $3 million, with the remainder being funded from existing cash reserves. Whilst there is currently considered to be strong potential for growth of both the population and economy of the district, Council is very mindful that as yet this potential has not been translated into reality, and for this reason a conservative approach continues to be taken towards reflecting associated benefits of potential growth in the LTP, with increased growth-associated revenue not yet being incorporated into Council s financial estimates. The alternative options that are considered to exist are 1) to proceed with Council support of the Westridge development, or; 2) to not pursue any residential developments. Council s preferred option is 1. Council does not favour option 2 because of the obvious need for additional housing capacity. Stop Bank Path in Otorohanga The most financially significant new project in the draft LTP is the proposed creation of a path suitable for pedestrians and cyclists along the top of the stop banks on the northern (town) side of the Otorohanga Community, running for the full 3.1km length of the stop banks from Phillips Avenue near the Otorohanga Primary School to the Waipa Esplanade near to Otorohanga College. The primary benefit of such a path would be the provision of a safe off-road route to the three largest schools in the town, but it would also provide recreational opportunities for walkers, runners and cyclists, and would enhance the public s ability to access the Waipa River, with associated recreational and cultural benefits for the community. There has been much discussion regarding the form that such a path should take, but it currently appears that the most practical option would be a compacted gravel path of the type that is widely used in other districts. It is believed that the total cost of such a path and other associated works may be in the order of $350,000 and it is hoped that a significant proportion of this cost would be met through a subsidy from the New Zealand Transport Agency, though this is yet to be confirmed.

5 At this point it is envisaged that the local share of the cost of developing the path (approximately $147,000) would be met from a part of the proceeds of the sale of the Council owned farm on Te Raumauku Road. Since it appears that a concrete surfaced path has been ruled out on technical grounds, the only other potential option is to not create a stop bank path at all. Council s preferred option is to have a gravel surfaced path. Strengthening Community and Iwi Engagement Council believes that there is value in efforts to enrich our local identity, so that residents have a greater sense of who we are as a community. This sense of identity should reflect our predominantly rural character, our history, our environment and the diversity of our communities. Building this stronger identity requires engagement with different groups to build mutual understanding, and Council considers that its own engagement efforts need to be enhanced if this is to be achieved. Council s engagement with Iwi is one particular area where opportunities for improvement are apparent, with a desire to establish stronger and more meaningful relationships. Council recognises that additional resources will be needed if the desired higher level of engagement is to be consistently maintained, and has accordingly allocated an additional budget of $80,000 per year to resource increased engagement, in particular with Iwi. Details of how this enhanced engagement will be conducted have yet to be finalised, and Council would welcome feedback on how it might best connect with its communities. The alternative option is to continue the existing relatively low levels of engagement, but Council does not consider this appropriate, particularly given the fact that recent or forthcoming Treaty of Waitangi settlements will give local Iwi the resources to undertake much higher levels of engagement than have been possible in the past. Council s preferred option is to fund the additional resources required for this enhanced community engagement. Building Community Resilience Whilst the Otorohanga District and the Council serving it can be proud of past achievements, the world is changing and the systems, organisations and processes that may have served well in the past may not be necessarily right for the future. The District currently faces a number of challenges arising from societal, demographic, economic, legislative and environmental change that need to be addressed with a willingness to take new approaches to ensure that our communities are adequately prepared for the future. In some cases taking these new approaches may have significant additional cost that might be seen to be in conflict with the long established Council objective of keeping rates low, but it is believed that in some respects the community and Council are now at a critical point, and there is a significant risk that unless these changes are made the community could potentially be exposed to unacceptable levels of service. In essence it is believed that Council needs to move away from some of its decision making that has been driven by achieving the lowest cost in the short term, to a more balanced approach that recognises other broader and longer term benefits, including sustainability. This may include making greater use of services sourced externally or delivered in collaboration with others. It is recognised that many people are uncomfortable with change, but it is the role of Council to provide leadership to the community and to question the status quo rather than comfortably accepting continued business as usual thinking and operations. For this reason it is proposed that in the order of $100,000 is spent in 2018/19 to commence exploration of the potential for alternative approaches to service delivery (including external provision or shared services with compatible partners) that will build the resilience of the Council organisation and the District. Any changes arising from this exploration would then be consulted on in future LTP s. An alternative option is to continuing to do as we have previously done, but Council believes that this would in effect be putting our head in the sand and would have significant associated risk. Council s preferred option is to commence investigation of shared services and other alternative service delivery approaches.

6 What are the Effects of the Proposed Changes on Levels of Service? Previous feedback from the community has been that Council s existing levels of service are relatively basic but satisfactory, with there being a manageable program of asset renewals, limited projected variation of local population or economy and little other apparent need for change. There has however been a willingness on the part of the community for Council to continue improving the District s roads, and hence that level of service has been gradually rising. Of the main proposed changes that have been described in the previous sections, only two are likely to directly result in increased levels of service for residents and ratepayers. These changes are the creation of a stop bank path, the strengthening of community and Iwi engagement. With the creation of a stop bank path, new, safe active transportation routes are created for the benefit of the users. With community and iwi engagement, stronger links with both iwi and the wider community will improve communication with and from Council, allowing Council to make better informed decisions for the good of the community. The outcomes of some of the other proposed actions such as the review of the Road Improvement Strategy and the investigation of shared services could potentially indirectly affect future levels of service, but until those exercises are completed it is not possible to know what those changes might be, and further consultation would be required before any such changes are given effect. What are the Effects of the Proposed Changes on Rates? The proposed changes to Council activities would have effects on levels of Council rates and/or debt approximately as shown in the following table: Proposed Change Likely Approximate Associated % Change to Council Rates Likely Associated Change to Council Debt Otorohanga Community Kawhia Community Rural Area Growth Focus Nil Nil Nil $3M increase in first year, repaid as sales of sections occur Stop Bank Path In Otorohanga Nil* Nil* Nil* Nil* Strengthening Community and Iwi Engagement +0.6% +0.6% +0.6% Nil Building Community Resilience** + 0.7% +0.7% +0.7% Nil *Local share of costs funded from existing financial reserves **Impact of rates increases is a one-off in the first year of the plan Though these changes do contribute to rates increases over the initial years of the LTP period, it should be noted that the most significant factor driving the projected overall rates increases throughout the Plan period is not increases in the activities conducted by Council, but nationwide cost inflation. Information provided by BERL Economics Ltd has suggested that there will be an average annual increase in the prices of goods and services used by Councils of around 2.4% over the next 10 years, much of which is driven by the private sector. If the real rate of price increases for these goods and services is less than what is projected, then overall rates increases should be lower than what is indicated in the current plan. Tell Us What You Think Make a Submission Council invites the community to express their views on these proposed changes to Council activities. You can TELL US WHAT YOU THINK. by making a written submission on this proposed LTP. The period for submissions will open on Friday 20 April 2018, and will close at noon on Monday 21 May A form for submissions is provided at the end of this document.

7 Deferral of Universal Metered Water Charges for Otorohanga Section 3: Changes already made from previous LTP s A proposal for the introduction of metered charging for all properties in the Otorohanga Community was included in the LTP, with the intention being that those charges would be given effect from 1 July Difficulties in finalising the installation of meters did however result in this implementation date being deferred to 1 July 2018, and challenges in obtaining sufficiently reliable water consumption data to adequately prepare ratepayers for the transition to metered charging has now resulted in charge implementation being proposed to be further deferred until 1 July Whilst the implementation of universal metered charging for water is considered to be highly desirable in respect of both fairness and efficient use of water, it is also considered essential that ratepayers are adequately informed and prepared before they receive their first real metered water bill. Council has already made the decision to defer the charging by water meters until 1 July 2019, so this information is to inform of the change from the last LTP. Water Treatment Needs It is considered inevitable that the 2016 water contamination event at Havelock North will have a broad impact on the requirements placed on drinking water suppliers, including ODC. Higher levels of compliance with the NZ Drinking water standards seem certain to be demanded by central government, which will in turn require upgrading of water treatment facilities if such compliance is to be achieved. This will affect all ODC administered drinking water supplies, but it is the rural supplies that will be most severely impacted, probably requiring entirely new treatment plants to be constructed, with very high associated costs on a per consumer basis if those supplies are to remain used as a source of human drinking water. A possible alternative to this for these rural water supplies is restricting the use of water from them to being for agricultural purposes only, with houses or another other places where human water consumption occurs being supplied by other means. Whilst Council administers and manages these rural supplies, all costs are met by the water consumers served by the particular scheme, and as such Council looks towards these consumers and their representatives on the associated water supply committees to make the necessary decisions in response to these stricter water quality requirements. At this point the estimated additional costs of achieving compliance have been incorporated into future budget projections for the Otorohanga and Kawhia water supplies, but similar costs have not been included for the most affected rural supply schemes (Arohena and Tihiroa) because the committees of those schemes have not yet made decisions on the way forward. Given the fact the changes for Otorohanga and Kawhia are not discretionary, and that the rural supplies are funded by the users, Council is not consulting on options through this LTP. Review of Road Improvement Strategy Otorohanga District Council has for many years been progressively improving the roads of the District, but the nature of the improvements undertaken has changed over time, as the general standard of our roads has risen. In recent years and as was reflected in the LTP - the adopted strategy has been to focus on straightening and widening sealed roads, but there is now a belief on the part of Council that most of the sealed roads have now been brought up to a standard where further improvements may not be essential, and with this has come a suggestion that if there is to be continuing effort to improve district roads, this effort might be best directed towards resuming the sealing of some of the remaining unsealed rural roads.

8 Making such strategic decisions must however also take account of value for money issues, and in this case a key factor is whether central government subsidy from the New Zealand Transport Agency (typically at a rate of 58 cents in the dollar) will be obtainable for the particular type of work. In recent years such subsidy has been available for road straightening and widening, but it has not been granted for seal extensions, and the resultant large difference in the bang for buck of each ratepayer dollar spent had previously caused Council to cease undertaking seal extensions. NZTA funding policy has however very recently changed, and it is possible (but not yet confirmed) that this may once again open the way for subsidised seal extensions. Council is therefore awaiting advice regarding whether or not that is the case, before it makes any final decision on possible changes to its strategy for future road improvements. Until that time the only seal extensions that will be conducted are those where the works can be funded from small fully discretionary budgets that had been previously allocated to particular communities, as is the case in Kawhia. Because the strategy review has not yet been completed it is not yet possible to say exactly how a new direction may affect rates, but it is suspected that if there is an associated change in local cost, it will probably be some degree of reduction, regardless of which form of option is selected. In essence the main options that are likely to be considered in a review of the Road Improvement Strategy are to cease or substantially reduce any improvement of roads, to continue to focus on improving sealed roads, or to instead resume sealing of unsealed roads. Note that as the review has not yet occurred and the options have not yet been decided on, Council is not consulting on this issue at this time. The Road Improvement Strategy however is, as its name implies, a process to increase levels of service, and as such whilst a review of that strategy could change the form of improvements being made, it does not have potential to lower the level of service from what currently exists

9 Section 4: Council s Infrastructure & Levels of Service Council s infrastructure is all of the physical structures that support its activities such as roads, water pipes, drains, treatment systems and various other community facilities. The Council s Infrastructure Strategy is to maintain existing levels of service while undertaking necessary infrastructure renewals when necessary. The District has generally been in a relatively stable position in respect of Council infrastructure, with surveys indicating that current levels of service are generally meeting the expectations of residents, and the infrastructure is considered to be relatively secure against natural disasters or climate change. Until recently there has also been little expectation of substantial economic or population growth in the District, and for this reason a very large proportion of Council s previously forecast future expenditure on infrastructure has been for routine operation & maintenance and periodic replacement ( renewal ) of assets, with only much smaller amounts projected for new works to accommodate growth or to improve levels of service, as reflected in projected figures in the graph to the right. The main changes that the proposed LTP would make to the figures for the earlier years of this period are: 1. Increases in renewal costs associated with improved evaluations of asset condition which indicate some items will require replacement sooner than previously expected. 2. The inclusion of some additional capital costs associated with growth, in particular for the Council-funded residential subdivision. 3. Increases in operation and maintenance costs associated with regulatory controls on water and wastewater, and new parks and reserves assets, such as the Kiwiana playground in Otorohanga. Projected Annual Infrastructure Renewal Costs 2018 to 2048 Projected Infrastructure Expenditures Total Annual Expenditures - Roading and Water 2017 Dollar Terms In the longer term there is expected to be a progressive increase in annual asset renewal requirements that will reach a maximum in the 2030 s. To accommodate this peak it has and continues to be a key objective of Council that it should enter this period of peak renewal expenditure with debt at a very low level and sufficient cash reserves, so that the renewals can be undertaken without creating unacceptably high levels of indebtedness. The proposed changes included in the LTP are expected to have little overall effect on overall Council levels of service, which as previously stated are believed to meet the expectations of most residents. A comprehensive further survey of those community expectations will however be conducted in Significant capital expenditure over the next 30 years in roading relates to pavement rehabilitation work, and also a large number of culvert replacements from 2035 onwards. Outside the 30 year window are some bridge replacements that will have a high cost. The significant water expenditure relates to replacement of wastewater lines, combined with water lines also needing to be replaced.

10 Section 5: Council s Finances Council s approach to its finances is influenced by the sound financial position it is currently in. The Council is working to reduce debt in preparation for significant upcoming infrastructure spending in the next 30 years. At the same time, Council is trying to keep future rates increases as low as possible, to ensure they are still affordable for the ratepayers. A detailed description of Council s strategic approach to the management of its finances and its associated financial position can be found in the Financial Strategy document, which is referenced in section 6. The following is however a brief summary of some key aspects of Council s finances. Council is currently in a very sound financial position, with its use of income from rates strongly reflecting its large expenditures on infrastructural services, with around 61% of all rates used for these core purposes in a relatively stable and cost efficient manner. Though there are additional costs associated with some of the proposed new activities presented in this document, most of these costs are relatively small and will not significantly weaken Council s financial position, or have a significant adverse effect on rates. The rating system will remain largely unchanged, other than the water meter changes as discussed in section 3. Council s public debt is expected to be just under $9.5 million at the end of the 2018/19 year and is projected to steadily fall over the next 10 years, reaching a stable $450k by Based on the proposed long term plan, an overall rates increase of 1.79% is indicated for the 2018/19 year. Rates increases projected for the different rating areas for 2018/19 and subsequent years are presented in the table below. As stated in the introduction section the primary factor driving rates increase is predicted inflation of input costs. 2018/ / / / / / / / / /28 Otorohanga Rural 1.40% 1.43% 1.33% 1.42% 1.37% 1.43% 1.26% 1.28% 1.85% 3.73% Otorohanga Community 2.27% -1.22% 2.43% 1.89% 2.22% 1.34% 1.59% 2.92% 3.51% 1.94% Kawhia Community 2.96% 2.14% 1,71% 1.51% 2.41% 2.32% 2.54% 2.90% 3.17% 2.33% Overall Rates Increase 1.79% 0.78% 1.66% 1.55% 1.70% 1.50% 1.48% 1.90% 2.44% 3.09%

11 Through its Financial Strategy Council sets limits on levels and increases of rates and debt. The following limits are proposed for the period: Council Net Public Debt in any year shall not exceed 100% of Total Council Revenue for that year Annual Rates Increases in any year shall not exceed the increase of the BERL Economics Local Government Cost Index for that year plus 2.00% Annual Council Income from Rates in any year shall not exceed 75% of Total Council Income The graphs below show the projected performance against these set limits or caps. As can be seen all years are well within these limits.

12 Examples of Ratepayer Contributions to Rates for the 2018/19 Year Activity Property Value $250,000 $300,000 $ 250,000 $500,000 $200,000 $300,000 $1,000,000 $1,500,000 $ 4,500,000 Location / Type Otorohanga Residential Otorohanga Commercial Kawhia Rural Democratic Process $206 $217 $246 $339 $215 $244 $217 $270 $590 Council Support $12 $12 $12 $15 $11 $12 $20 $26 $60 Corporate Planning $100 $104 $100 $120 $96 $104 $159 $198 $432 District Economic Development $73 $75 $73 $84 $71 $75 $104 $124 $247 Policy Development $5 $6 $5 $6 $5 $6 $9 $11 $23 Civil Defence $35 $35 $35 $35 $35 $35 $35 $35 $35 Environmental Health $17 $17 $17 $20 $16 $17 $26 $33 $72 Dog Control $10 $10 $10 $10 $10 $10 $10 $10 $10 Stock Ranging & Impounding $4 $4 $4 $4 $4 $4 $4 $4 $4 Litter Control $8 $9 $8 $11 $8 $9 $16 $21 $53 Sport Support $11 $12 $11 $13 $11 $12 $15 $17 $32 Parks & Reserves $93 $101 $93 $133 $85 $101 $211 $289 $760 Refuse $115 $115 $115 $116 $260 $261 $40 $43 $59 Water Supply $450 $450 $450 $450 $576 $576 $11 $11 $11 Sewerage $367 $367 $367 $367 $7 $7 $7 $7 $7 Library $60 $62 $60 $72 $58 $62 $95 $118 $258 Public Conveniences $18 $20 $18 $25 $14 $16 $35 $49 $130 Kawhia Medical Centre $1 $1 $1 $2 $13 $16 $2 $3 $6 Kawhia Wharf $5 $5 $5 $6 $20 $24 $8 $10 $22 Aotea Seawall $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Council Property -$1 -$1 -$5 -$10 $37 $44 $9 $11 $25 Pool $175 $175 $175 $175 $14 $14 $122 $122 $122 Security Patrol $5 $6 $658 $886 $0 $0 $1 $2 $6 Halls $0 $0 $0 $0 $17 $17 $2 $2 $7 Environmental Services Manager $5 $6 $5 $10 $4 $6 $20 $30 $90 Planning & Development $13 $15 $13 $26 $10 $15 $51 $77 $230 Building Control $21 $25 $21 $42 $17 $25 $83 $125 $375 Property Management $2 $3 $2 $4 $2 $3 $9 $13 $40 Cemeteries $4 $5 $4 $9 $3 $5 $17 $26 $78 Stormwater $77 $92 $191 $383 $41 $62 $14 $22 $65 Land Transport $629 $681 $629 $887 $578 $681 $1,403 $1,918 $5,012 Sewerage Loan $34 $41 $85 $171 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Water Loan $15 $18 $38 $75 $27 $40 $0 $0 $0 Land Drainage $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $13 $19 $57 Property Development $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 CBD Development $0 $0 $203 $234 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Totals $2,569 $2,688 $3,649 $4,720 $2,265 $2,503 $2,768 $3,646 $8,918

13 Section 6: Obtaining Further Information The documents listed below provide further information supporting or associated with this consultation document. These documents, and a full copy of the Draft Long Term Plan can be accessed via Council s website or inspected at Council s office and libraries. Document Type of Information Contained Financial Strategy Funding Impact Statement Information Newsletter Water Metering for Otorohanga Infrastructure Strategy Sets out the Council s strategic approach to the management of its finances and presents indicative rates and debt levels for the 10 year term of the Long Term Plan Outlines the sources of funding the Council intends to use Explanation of reasons for and details of proposed introduction of metered charging for water in the Otorohanga Community Summarises key issues in respect of Council s roads and water services infrastructure during the next 30 years ODC Report Standards of Service Survey Results August 2014 Presents results of the 2014 district-wide desired level of service survey Policy on Development and Financial Contributions Policy on the Remission of Rates on Maori Freehold Land Rates Remission Policy Revenue and Financing Policy Roading, Water & Sanitary Services Asset Management Plans Schedule of Fees and Charges Significance and Engagement Policy Outlines Council s approach to recovering infrastructure development costs associated with population and economic growth Outlines Council s policy on rates relief for Maori freehold land Describes Council s approach to applying reductions or waivers of rates in certain situations Sets out the reasons why different sources of funds are used to fund different types of Council expenditure Provide technical details of Council s infrastructural assets and how these are to be managed Outlines Council s fees and charges for a range of services not fully funded by rates Explains how Council will determine the significance of decisions and how it will consult with the public on those decisions

14 Section 7: Report from Auditor General

15 Section 8: Make a Submission How to make a submission You can make an online submission at or you may complete the form below. Submissions open on Friday 20 April 2018 and close at noon on Monday 21 May Your details - Mr Mrs Ms Miss Name Submission Please provide your feedback on the Consultation Document for the Long Term Plan Tell us the things you support, or what you don t, to help guide our future decision making. Please write on other side of this page if required. Topic 1: Growth Focus Which option do you support? Proceed with Westridge development Contact details (if your contact details are provided you will receive an acknowledgement of your submission) Postal Not pursue residential developments Comments: Best daytime contact number: Mobile Organisation If you are completing this submission on behalf of others, please name the organisation you are representing and your role in it. Topic 2: Stop Bank Path in Otorohanga Which option do you support? Presentation Do you wish to present your submission to the Council in person at a hearing? Yes No Hearings have been set down for 29 May If you have indicated that you wish to present your comments in person, you will be contacted after the submissions have closed to arrange a time. You will be given approximately ten minutes in which to present your submission and answer questions. Please make your written comments as complete as possible and use the hearing time to highlight the most important aspects of your submission. Please note that your submission (including any personal information supplied) will be made available to the Councillors and the public. Gravel path along stopbank No path along stopbank Comments:

16 Topic 3: Strengthening Community and Iwi Engagement Which option do you support? Increased engagement Current levels of engagement Comments: Submissions can be posted to: ed to or Completed Online Otorohanga District Council PO Box 11 OTOROHANGA 3940 Attention: Chief Executive Topic 4: Building Community Resilience Which option do you support? Spend $100,000 exploring alternatives Continue as it has been Comments: