Some ratepayers are happy for money to be spent developing Oamaru Harbour, while they strongly oppose the Waitaki District Council spending it in other areas.
The council has released details of a questionnaire to ratepayers as part of consultation on its 2009-19 long-term council community plan (LTCCP).
It was included with a submission form that was part of the Waitaki Express, a tabloid publication that outlined what the LTCCP was all about.
Policy adviser Ben Hopkins said almost 200 of questionnaires were returned as part of 410 written submissions received on the plan.
The questionnaire gave people the opportunity to have a say, without having to prepare a written submission.
It asked people to vote on a wide range of issues, many of which involved the council spending extra money.
In many cases, while those who filled out the questionnaire may have been sympathetic to a project, they opposed the council spending money.
The exception was when it came to "Beside the Seaside", which asked five questions about the Harbourside development proposal at the Oamaru Harbour.
There was strong support for the council spending money on the development.
That surprised some councillors at a committee meeting on Tuesday.
"Clearly, the community would like to see [that development] happen," Cr Jim Hopkins said.
Cr Helen Stead said the questionnaire was a "good temperature-taking exercise" for the council.
The results of the questionnaire, along with 410 written submissions will be considered by the council, along with oral submissions, on May 12 and 13.
The council will then make a final decision on the LTCCP on May 26.
Mr Hopkins said submissions raised many issues and ratepayers had very different positions on the same topics.
"There's a real diversity of opinion out there. Some ratepayers have strong feelings about what Oamaru and the Waitaki District should look like in the future.
"There is no complete consensus on any issue. That's what this process is about," he said.
Harbourside survey
Questions from the Waitaki District Council questionnaire.-
• Should we spend $1 million on the harbour in the next 10 years?
Yes 54% No 21% NR* 25%
• Should most of the money come from Oamaru ratepayers?
Yes 29% No 45% NR 26%
• Should it come from property sales or other sources?
Yes 46% No 20% NR 34%
• Should the two wharves be upgraded?
Yes 46% No 24% NR 30%
*No response
