No time for public consultation

Supercity changes may prompt North Shore City Council not to seek public submissions on next year’s annual plan budget.

Auckland councils are required to prepare an annual plan for the 2010/2011 financial year but it will only apply for four months from July. That’s because from November they won’t exist.

The Auckland Transition Authority will prepare a planning document for the new Auckland Council covering the remaining eight months.

Auckland councils still plan to prepare to a 12-month budget to give the authority guidance, says council corporate planning manager Steve Ironside.

Annual plan consultation is usually compulsory for councils but it isn’t in the coming year because of the transition to the supercity.

They can opt not to consult ratepayers if their annual plan budget is generally consistent with their existing 15-year city plan.

Shore council officers recommend consultation doesn’t occur.

Only minimal changes to the city plan are being considered, say officers.

Consultation would be "time consuming and resource hungry" on top of work preparing to transition to a supercity, warn officers.

City councillors backed off making a decision at the strategy and finance committee because they want further information.

A proposed motion to keep the normal process of consultation was withdrawn.

Councillors were uncertain how they could consult on a 12-month plan if they were responsible for only four months of it.

Lisa Whyte said not consulting appeared undemocratic but there were good reasons not to go ahead with it.

Mrs Whyte said the council could only plan for four months and seeking feedback could raise unrealistic public expectations about what it could achieve.

The councils also have to consult the transition authority during preparation of their annual plans.

- © Fairfax NZ News