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Local Government Act 2002

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

95A: Purpose and content of consultation document for annual plan

You could also call this:

“How your council explains changes to their yearly plan and asks for your thoughts”

You have the right to participate in decision-making about what your local council will do in the coming year. To help you do this, the council must create a consultation document. This document explains any big changes between what the council said they would do in their long-term plan and what they now want to do in the annual plan.

The consultation document must be easy for you to understand. It should tell you about any important differences in spending or projects. If the council wants to spend money on new things, they need to explain what these are and how they’ll pay for them. If they want to delay or cancel a big project, they need to tell you why and what will happen if they do.

The document should be short and simple. It won’t include the full annual plan or policies. Instead, it will tell you where you can find more detailed information, including on the council’s website.

Before the council shares this document with you, they must make sure all the information in it is correct. The document can have any title the council chooses, as long as it mentions that it’s for consulting on the annual plan.

Remember, if a change could affect your decisions or what you think about the plan, the council must include it in the consultation document.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6236886.

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“This old rule about when to finish the yearly plan is no longer used”

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“Rules for making long-term and yearly plans together”

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

95APurpose and content of consultation document for annual plan

  1. The purpose of the consultation document under section 82A(3) is to provide a basis for effective public participation in decision-making processes relating to the activities to be undertaken by the local authority in the coming year, and the effects of those activities on costs and funding, as proposed for inclusion in the annual plan, by—

  2. identifying significant or material differences between the proposed annual plan and the content of the long-term plan for the financial year to which the annual plan relates; and
    1. explaining the matters in paragraph (a) in a way that can be readily understood by interested or affected people; and
      1. informing discussions between the local authority and its communities about the matters in paragraph (a).

        1. The content of the consultation document must be such as the local authority considers on reasonable grounds will achieve the purpose set out in subsection (1), and must—

        2. explain identified differences, if any, between the proposed annual plan and what is described in the long-term plan in relation to the financial year to which the annual plan relates, including (but not limited to)—
          1. an explanation of any significant or material variations or departures from the financial statements or the funding impact statement; and
            1. a description of significant new spending proposals, the costs associated with those proposals, and how these costs will be met; and
              1. an explanation of any proposal to substantially delay, or not proceed with, a significant project, and the financial and service delivery implications of the proposal; and
              2. outline the expected consequences of proceeding with the matters referred to in paragraph (a), including the implications for the local authority’s financial strategy.

                1. The consultation document—

                2. must be presented in as concise and simple a manner as is consistent with this section; and
                  1. without limiting paragraph (a), must not contain, or have attached to it—
                    1. a draft of the annual plan as proposed to be adopted; or
                      1. a full draft of any policy; or
                        1. any detailed information, whether described in Part 2 of Schedule 10 or otherwise, that is not necessary or desirable for the purposes of subsections (1) and (2); and
                        2. must state where members of the public may obtain the information held by the local authority that is relied on by the content of the consultation document, including by providing links or references to the relevant information on the local authority’s Internet site; and
                          1. may be given the title of the local authority’s choice, provided that the title or subtitle make reference to this being a consultation document for the proposed annual plan for the relevant year.

                            1. The local authority must adopt the information that is relied on by the content of the consultation document, as referred to in subsection (3)(c), before it adopts the consultation document.

                            2. For the purposes of this section, a difference, variation, or departure is material if it could, itself or in conjunction with other differences, influence the decisions or assessments of those reading or responding to the consultation document.

                            Notes
                            • Section 95A: inserted, on , by section 34 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2014 (2014 No 55).
                            • Section 95A(3)(c): amended, on , by section 19 of the Local Government Regulatory Systems Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 6).