Ten Long-term Plan consultation documents have been selected as finalists from amongst a record 56 entries in the 2021 Taituarā Great Consultation Documents (CD) Competition. Congratulations to all submitters – we’ve been overwhelmed by the overall high quality of the Plans shared this year.
“The competition, held every three years alongside the completion of long-term plans, celebrates the best in local authorities telling their stories about how they plan to promote community well-being” said Raymond Horan, Chief Adviser at Taituara.
This is the fifth time Taituarā has held the competition. Previous winners include Tauranga City Council, Waitaki District Council, Timaru District Council, and Gisborne District Council.
An ear to the ground
Raymond noted that “The closeness that smaller councils have to their communities generally shines through – and this year is little different. A lesson for those who say councils are distant behemoths.”
“This year we’ve noted a significant improvement in the overall standard of the CDs – a view shared by others. We’ve seen a great deal of innovation in the way these documents are presented and how councils engage with their communities.”
The top ten finalists for 2022 are (in alphabetical order):
- Central Hawkes Bay District Council – Facing the facts
- Greater Wellington Regional Council – Writing the Greater Wellington story
- Hauraki District Council – Alice in our place
- Hawkes Bay Regional Council – Time to act: kia rite!
- Masterton District Council – Stepping up for our mokopuna
- Matamata-Piako District Council – Making Matamata a place of choice
- New Plymouth District Council – Your home, your say
- Selwyn District Council – This way
- Timaru District Council – Together we can thrive
- Waipā District Council – What’s next Waipā?
The top 10 this year includes perennial finalists Hauraki District Council, Timaru District Council and Waipā District Council. Those recognised for the first time in this competition include Hawkes Bay Regional Council, Matamata-Piako District Council, New Plymouth District Council, and Selwyn District Council.
Winner yet to be announced
The winner will be announced at the 2022 Taituarā Community Plan Forum which will be held online at 2.30pm, 25 November 2021.
“One of the strengths of the local government sector is its willingness to share good ideas, and the consultation documents are no exception.” Raymond says. “The top 10 will be made available on the Taituarā website for the sector to learn from, and we’ll be borrowing liberally from the good practice in these document as we redevelop the sector’s guidance on long-term planning next year”.