Planning has begun for Whanganui District Council’s next 10-year plan, but there is “polarisation in our community” about reducing services.
The council ran a “Choices and Trade-offs” survey for two weeks in September, seeking feedback on service levels, rates affordability and future investment.
Of the 1363 responses, 45.32% supported service reductions and 43.98% opposed them.
About 10% were neutral or unsure.
At an operations and performance committee meeting this month, council strategy and policy manager David Gurney said respondents had a strong preference to keep five services at current levels: roads and footpaths, parks and open spaces, libraries, animal management and swimming pools.
“Written feedback talked mainly about seeking better value from our spending.
“There was real sentiment – ‘Make sure you’re running a nice tight ship as a council before you start cutting back services to any huge degree’.”
The support for reductions focused on corporate services, economic development, community support and grants, cemeteries and cultural facilities and venues, he said.
Despite some public scepticism, the council was using the feedback in its decision-making “at quite a granular level”.
The Long-Term Plan (LTP) for 2027-37 must be signed off by the end of June next year.
Gurney’s report to the committee said recent council workshops considered 32 activities across all areas, with elected members indicating their preferred direction for levels of service.
Most councillors wanted to keep current levels for most areas, with moderate savings identified for the Durie Hill Elevator, aquatics, Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery, the Royal Whanganui Opera House, district planning, and climate adaptation and coastal action.
The only major saving was in the council’s property portfolio, with options including divesting low-performing assets and reviewing underused buildings.
Committee members voted 10-2 in favour of endorsing the service level direction to inform the next phase of activity management planning and LTP budget development
Deputy Mayor Michael Law and councillor Mike Hos voted against the endorsement.
Law said he “loved” the survey and the report, but he wanted to vote on each of the 32 activities individually.
The request was declined.
Councillor Josh Chandulal-Mackay said it was important to talk to members of the public who regularly used council services.
The council had statutory obligations for animal control, building control and resource consenting, and attention had to be given to the implications of cuts, he said.
“This [survey] really reflects the polarisation in our community.
“I think it speaks to the challenges we as a council are going to have heading into this Long-Term Plan.”
Council strategy and partnerships programme managerRobyn Vickery said there would be further public engagement on the LTP over the next two months.
“Formal consultation takes place in April next year, so that will also be an opportunity for the community to get involved and have their say.”
Councillor Kate Joblin said she hoped there was “the same vibrancy, engagement and energy” when it came time for the consultation.
“This [endorsement] is a direction of travel; it’s not wedding us to a certain position, a certain level of cost, or indeed, a certain budget.
“For me, the Long-Term Plan consultation process has in the past been a really important, valuable activity for us, when we, face-to-face, talk to our community, listen to their questions and hear their feedback.”
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present, his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.