Public hearings of submissions for 2020/21 Annual Plan

Published on 22 May 2020

Whanganui District Council has received 62 submissions on its 2020/21 Annual Plan consultation document. Currently, 22 people have indicated they wish to speak in support of their submission.

Mayor Hamish McDouall says, “Councillors and Council staff have worked extremely hard to support the democratic process under challenging COVID-19 circumstances.

“Various ways were made available to the Whanganui public to ensure submissions on the 2020/21 Annual Plan could be made under lockdown restrictions, including by telephone. We have ensured that the public’s views can be heard even in these unusual circumstances.”

The Annual Plan 2020/21 consultation document included several proposed changes to Council spending since the adoption of the Long Term Plan 2018-2028. The document also comprised information on the effect these changes will have on rates.

Submission hearings will be held in the Council Chamber at 101 Guyton Street under COVID-19 Alert Level 2 social distancing and hygiene restrictions. Physical access to the hearings will be limited to Councillors, key Council staff and scheduled presenters so that the number of people in the Council Chamber at any one time is restricted under Government COVID-19 guidelines. Some Councillors will attend the hearings remotely using the Zoom videotelephony service, and the Council’s Democracy Team will also take minutes remotely. Presenters will also have the option of speaking via Zoom if they wish.

The 2020/21 Annual Plan hearings will be livestreamed via Facebook on Wednesday, 27 May 2020, starting from 9.30am. The public is invited to view the livestream on either the Council’s Facebook page or website