Despite criticism from Audit New Zealand, the Central Otago District Council has approved its draft long-term community council plan (LTCCP).
At a meeting in Alexandra yesterday, the council resolved to approve the plan, which will include an official adverse opinion from Audit New Zealand, which audits all of the country's district councils.
Audit New Zealand associate director John Mackey attended the meeting to explain why the council's plan did not comply with requirements of legislation.
Mr Mackey said the council's adoption of a different approach to performance and service meant its corresponding plans were in a different format to what was required by the Government.
The council recently adopted what is called the Vanguard Method, with the aim of improving customer service, lowering costs, and improving staff morale.
Mr Mackey said there was no criticism of the actual method, but because it was not compliant with auditor's rules and regulations, it could not achieve a preferred description of the council's intents and performance through its LTCCP.
The auditor's statement, to be included within the council's plan, said the council had not adequately disclosed or explained the relationship between community outcomes and service levels, performance measures, and targets across the range of activities.
Consequently, the forecast information and proposed performance measures within the plan did not reflect good practise for a council of Central Otago's size and scale, Mr Mackey said.
"The document does not adequately inform people or readers about the council's achievements . . ." he said.
