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Local Government Act 2002

Planning, decision-making, and accountability - Planning and decision-making - Planning

93: Long-term plan

You could also call this:

"A local authority's long-term plan is like a roadmap that shows what it wants to achieve for its community over the next 10 years."

Illustration for Local Government Act 2002

A local authority must have a long-term plan at all times. You can think of a long-term plan like a roadmap that shows what the local authority wants to achieve and how it will get there. The local authority must use a special consultative procedure to adopt and amend its long-term plan.

The long-term plan must describe the activities of the local authority and the outcomes it wants to achieve for its community. It must also provide a long-term focus for the local authority's decisions and activities. The plan must cover a period of at least 10 consecutive financial years and include certain information, such as what is required by Part 1 of Schedule 10.

When preparing and adopting its long-term plan, the local authority must act in a way that it considers appropriate. It must also make the plan publicly available within one month after it is adopted. However, some information about water services may not be included in the plan if it is already covered in a water services strategy adopted under section 230 of the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025. But the plan must include information about an infrastructure strategy, a revenue and financing policy, and a funding impact statement, as described in section 101B(5A), section 103, and clause 15 of Schedule 10.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM172344.

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Part 6Planning, decision-making, and accountability
Planning and decision-making: Planning

93Long-term plan

  1. A local authority must, at all times, have a long-term plan under this section.

  2. A local authority must use the special consultative procedure in adopting a long-term plan.

  3. A long-term plan must be adopted before the commencement of the first year to which it relates, and continues in force until the close of the third consecutive year to which it relates.

  4. A local authority may amend a long-term plan at any time.

  5. A local authority must use the special consultative procedure in making any amendment to a long-term plan.

  6. The purpose of a long-term plan is to—

  7. describe the activities of the local authority; and
    1. describe the community outcomes of the local authority's district or region; and
      1. provide integrated decision-making and co-ordination of the resources of the local authority; and
        1. provide a long-term focus for the decisions and activities of the local authority; and
          1. provide a basis for accountability of the local authority to the community.

              1. A long-term plan adopted under this section must—

              2. cover a period of not less than 10 consecutive financial years; and
                1. include the information required by Part 1 of Schedule 10.

                  1. A local authority must, in complying with the requirements of this Act in relation to the preparation and adoption of a long-term plan, act in such manner, and include in that plan such detail, as the local authority considers on reasonable grounds to be appropriate.

                  2. A local authority must, in deciding what is appropriate for the purposes of subsection (8), have regard to—

                  3. the provisions of sections 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 96, 97, and 101; and
                    1. the significance of any matter; and
                      1. the extent of the local authority's resources.

                        1. A local authority must, within 1 month after the adoption of its long-term plan, make the plan publicly available.

                        2. However, this section—

                        3. does not apply to information relating to water services if the information is included in a water services strategy adopted under section 230 of the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025; but
                          1. despite paragraph (a), applies to information described in paragraph (a) that relates to—
                            1. an infrastructure strategy (see section 101B(5A)); or
                              1. a revenue and financing policy (see section 103); or
                                1. a funding impact statement (see clause 15 of Schedule 10).

                                Notes
                                • Section 93 heading: amended, on , by section 49 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 124).
                                • Section 93(1): amended, on , by section 49 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 124).
                                • Section 93(2): amended, on , by section 49 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 124).
                                • Section 93(3): amended, on , by section 49 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 124).
                                • Section 93(4): amended, on , by section 49 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 124).
                                • Section 93(5): amended, on , by section 49 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 124).
                                • Section 93(6): amended, on , by section 49 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 124).
                                • Section 93(6)(e): amended, on , by section 30(1) of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2014 (2014 No 55).
                                • Section 93(6)(f): repealed, on , by section 30(2) of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2014 (2014 No 55).
                                • Section 93(7): amended, on , by section 49 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 124).
                                • Section 93(8): amended, on , by section 49 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2010 (2010 No 124).
                                • Section 93(9): amended, on , by section 12 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 63).
                                • Section 93(10): replaced, on , by section 16 of the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 6).
                                • Section 93(11): inserted, on , by section 172 of the Local Government (Water Services) (Repeals and Amendments) Act 2025 (2025 No 43).