Councils’ budgets and ten-year plans (LTCCPs) are hitting the streets, with the public consultation period beginning now.
The April BayBuzz Digest is also hitting the streets and contains several articles reviewing Councils’ spending priorities and programs.
Here are the first three articles to look at:
And the Winner Is? by Councillor Wayne Bradshaw reviews the Hastings plan. As you’ll see, Wayne is concerned about sharply rising public debt and a backlog of deferred spending on Hastings infrastructure — such as footpaths, parks and community halls and other facilities owned by the Council.
In Water, Investments Top Regional Council Agenda, HBRC Chairman Alan Dick offers his perspective on two of the top issues the Regional Council will address over the next few years. He emphasizes a significant initiative to improve management of the region’s water supply and quality, and a more proactive leveraging of the Council’s financial assets to support investments in regional infrastructure and economic development.
And Napier: A Blue Chip Stock? is an interview with Mayor Barbara Arnott. She talks about stormwater management and waste minimisation as two challenges for her city, and previews other issues in the Napier LTCCP, such as potential investment in sports facilities, redevelopment of the HB Museum & Art Gallery, conversion of Marineland, and upgrading of Taradale’s town centre.
Plenty to chew over!
And watch for our BayBuzz Digest newspaper, with these articles and much more. Distribution around the Bay begins on the weekend.
Tom Belford