The Waitaki District Council conditionally approved the 2025-34 LTP public consultation document at its last meeting of 2024.
But it may have to revisit the details in an early February meeting.
Elected representatives heard on December 17 the compulsory Audit NZ opinion for the draft 2025-34 LTP consultation document had been delayed until about February 3. Staff had hoped to begin the statutory four weeks’ consultation for the next LTP from next Tuesday .
In 2025-26 of the proposed LTP draft, the district council plans to spend $41.8million on operations and projects with another $20.8m pencilled in for three waters projects. It is also planning within the LTP to consult on the contentious future of Beach Rd and other at-risk coastal road sites.
Chief executive Alex Parmley told councillors the audit of the consultation document was to ensure the LTP "focused on the right things".
Cr Jim Hopkins questioned "the ridiculous interference
by Audit NZ" in finalising
the document.
Mr Parmley, at Waitaki since mid-2021 , said having auditors "poring over" the LTP consultation document was still new to him.
Cr Hopkins asked if the consultation period might be adjusted in light of the audit delay.
Mr Parmley suggested there was "probably a distinction" between a required formal consultation of four weeks for the LTP and public "engagement" outside the usual submissions process.
"This LTP is your plan, not the auditors’ plan, for the next nine years, and how we engage with the community is your choice — not the auditors’ — beyond the four weeks," he said.
Mayor Gary Kircher said the mandatory audit was inconsistent with a "lack of consultation" every year for the Government’s Budget, "yet ratepayers have to pay hundreds of thousands for audit of the consultation document".
The local government sector had brought this up with the Minister Simeon Brown, Mr Kircher said.
Waitaki District Council strategy and commissioning lead Mandy McIntosh said having the audit sign-off by February 3 was "still slightly up in the air".
She suggested the requirement on council was to "largely" consult on the draft LTP for four weeks but "engagement can be longer than that".
The audit opinion could entail further changes to the LTP consultation document.
"We have to ensure we put the right information out to our community who we want to engage," Ms McIntosh said.
However, the council was planning to "release stories" on items within the LTP draft this month.
"We can go out prior to that audit report being released; we do want the public being involved as possible ... we will do everything to ensure we are communicating," Ms McIntosh said.
District council agrees to slash borrowing
The Waitaki District Council agreed on December 17 to slash its capital works external borrowing by nearly $20 million for the remainder of the 2024-25 financial year.
This came after elected officials told staff to review the previously approved projects in the 2024-25 enhanced annual plan, and projects not started and carried over from 2023-24.
It means the cancellation of the southern Oamaru Harbour toilet upgrade and a carpark development in Humber St.
At the same time seven other project budgets were slashed for 2024-25.
They include the Network Waitaki Event Centre, Kakanui Bridge replacement and water infrastructure upgrades for Oamaru.
It also means 23 other capital works projects will not be completed before the end of 2024-25, the council said in a statement.
About $300,000 left in the budget for developing the visitor economy would be split after the council agreed to allocate the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark $125,000 and spend $175,000 on commissioning the long-awaited new district and township gateway signs under the ‘Waitaki story’ project.
