Time to have your say on what’s in and what’s out of NPDC’s draft $4b10-year work programme

What’s Brooklands Zoo worth to you? It’s been a family favourite for generations of Taranaki residents, but can we afford $9million to keep it for our tamariki? 

Upgrading some of the animal enclosures to meet new government standards is one the big questions included in our 10-Year Plan for 2024-2034, which opened for public feedback today. 

This 10-year plan sets out how NPDC is planning to deliver on its vision to be a Sustainable Lifestyle Capital while balancing the need to keep rates affordable.

“Our proposals focus around three big calls – future-proofing our district, sustainability and paying it forward to ensure we are looking after our critical infrastructure, accelerating our efforts to care for the natural environment as well as investing in projects and programmes for future generations,” says New Plymouth District Mayor Neil Holdom. 

“We’re looking at ways to continue to be more efficient while planning for what’s over the horizon as well as the here and now. It’s important to stress that nothing is set in stone, which is why everyone should have your say.”  

In this plan we have proposed a work programme of around $4b and if adopted, would result in an average residential rate increase of 9.9 per cent in the first year – or around $311 for the average residential property.

Included in the proposed plan for public feedback:

Pay It Forward: 

• Should we invest $9m to upgrade some enclosures at Brooklands Zoo to meet regulations?
• Should we invest $35m to build a new indoor stadium with at least four courts, as part of a lower cost Tūparikino Active Community hub project?
• Is investing $16.3m to replace the ageing Bellringer Pavilion in Pukekura Park the way to go to ensure we get to see world class cricket on our doorstep?
• Should we explore other ways to deliver water, traffic management and housing for the elderly by organisations at arm’s length of Council?

Future-proofing our district: 

• Should we double how much we spend, to $315m, to renew local roads, bridges, and footpaths to look after what we’ve got?
• Should we put more into our Disaster Recovery Reserve from $200,000 a year to $500,000 a year to smooth cost of cleaning up after a disaster and use some of the payout from our Perpetual Investment Fund to top that up further?
• Should we do some planning to see on a ring route to the Port and bypasses to move big rigs out of our town centre and a second crossing of Waiwhakaiho River?

Sustainability: 

• Should we boost how much we spend on sustainability initiatives by $300,000 a year?
• Should contribute $100,000 a year over three years to trial a high frequency bus service with our partners?
• Should we upgrade rural transfer stations and establishing a regional organics (including food-waste) facility with other councils?

It’s Your home, so have your say.To find out more, to take the survey and a list of have your say events across the district go to npdc.govt.nz/10-year plan. Everyone who takes the survey goes in the draw to win one of 10, $100 grocery vouchers (terms and conditions apply).

Feedback closes 5pm Friday 19 April.

Fast Facts:

• NPDC manages around $3.4 billion worth of assets.
• We deliver services to our residents from drinking water for your coffee and fixing local roads to attracting world class entertainment to our venues such as the Bowl of Brooklands.
• Hearings on the 10-year Plan will be held in May.
• The Mayor and Councillors will adopt the 10-year Plan (2024-2034) in June.