The Local Government Act 2002 endeavours to strengthen local democracy and ensure the ongoing well-being of communities. It is designed to make it easier for all people to have a say in how their district develops and it ensures that the powers that be are listening.
What is a community outcome?
The Community Outcomes were created by the people of Ōpōtiki District with the help of Ōpōtiki District Council. There are seven clear goals that when combined, create a picture of how we, the community, want our district to be in the year 2022 and beyond. Our outcomes embrace all aspects of life in Ōpōtiki District - social, environmental, cultural and economic issues have been discussed and considered by all those who contribute to the wellbeing of our district. They create a picture of what we are aiming for, an idea of how we will achieve it, and a plan for measuring our progress.
How were they developed?
Several years ago a series of meetings were held throughout the district and a postal survey to collect all the thoughts and ideas of people in our communities. We also joined forces with Kawerau, Whakatane and Bay of Plenty Regional Council to collect thoughts from the wider Eastern Bay of Plenty and we worked with government agencies, iwi and community groups to develop our plan for the future.
As a community we considered the four well-being areas which are defined by the Local Government Act as social, cultural, economic and environmental.
We found that generally, people had similar levels of interest in all four wellbeing areas. They wanted to know that the culture would be preserved through sport, art, historic preservation, cultural interchange and acknowledgment of the community spirit. They wanted to see the economy develop and supported initiatives that increased employment, training, spending and investment in the district and they expressed concern for the preservation and enhancement of the district, national and global environment. The social well-being of the district is of great concern to most residents. People wanted to see strong families, active and involved young people, the elderly happy and well cared for and improvements in basic facilities for such things as health, education and community amenities.
Ōpōtiki District Council gathered the community comment and endeavoured to encapsulate the wishes of the community in seven draft community outcomes. These were then amended, approved and prioritised by district survey.
Measuring Progress
If we are to keep up a steady pace toward our goals, we need to keep track of our progress. Some of the ways we measure our progress are listed under each outcome. More methods will become clear as we continue to work together to achieve the same goals.
There are a number of measurement methods already available to us. Government agencies can provide data and statistics on a wide range of issues; and Council also measures various aspects of the district through meetings, focus groups, resident surveys and activity monitoring. Statistics New Zealand is able to provide vital information from the five yearly census.
We will continue to look for new measurement methods and are working with other agencies and authorities in the Bay of Plenty to develop a monitoring plan that will help keep us on track to creating a future that we have designed.
The first monitoring report was produced in June 2008 using facts and figures gathered by the regional monitoring group and feedback from a community survey.
The results of the community survey undertaken in 2011, show that most people agree that progress is being made towards achieving the community outcomes.
In 2012 Community aspirations have not changed but the economic climate has as a result of the global financial crises and earthquake in Christchurch. While council is adopting these long standing community outcomes for the 2012 - 2022 LTP its focus will be on providing core infrastructure.
Development and protection of the natural environment Services and facilities meet our needs Fair and efficient leadership A strong and distinctive community spirit Purposeful work and learning opportunities Development supports the community History and culture is treasured Strategic planning documents important to community outcomes
