RDC Long Term Council Community Plan 2009
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39 SECTION 3: Rodney Tomorrow LTCCP 2009 - 2019 Rodney Tomorrow Volume 1 Rodney’s Community Outcomes Vision Rodney is the map for the future of Rodney District over the next 20 to 30 years – it describes the outcomes Rodney’s communities value and desire for their district. The fi rst Vision Rodney was developed and adopted in July 2003. It was created through people discussing the future of the district, what they thought the vision should be, and what they saw as important for the future. Vision Rodney was reviewed in 2008 to refl ect the current views of the people and communities of Rodney and is an up-to-date description of the desired future. The process for reviewing Vision Rodney again involved people discussing what they thought was important for the future of the district. Vision Rodney is a strategic vision of and for local communities and is used as the strategic framework for the Council. The Council will assist the communities of Rodney to achieve the outcomes in Vision Rodney whenever possible, and will use them as the basis for partnerships that the Council will enter into with and on behalf of Rodney’s communities. In this section you will fi nd more information about: • Rodney’s fi rst community outcomes • progress towards achieving the fi rst outcomes 40 • how we identifi ed the revised community outcomes • the revised community outcomes • how the Council will respond – partnering initiatives • how community outcomes relate to other strategic planning documents • how we will measure progress. Rodney’s fi rst community outcomes Rodney’s fi rst community outcomes were developed through wide-ranging community consultation which identifi ed six things that the community intended to see happen. These were translated by the Council into six community outcomes. Community intent: Community outcome 1. We will keep our country look and feel A country look and feel 2. We will not let our towns and villages sprawl Contained and distinctive towns and villages 3. We will maintain our lifestyles and look after the environment Maintained lifestyles and environmental care 4. We will take care of ourselves while working with others Safe and healthy communities 5. We will be able to make our living in Rodney Jobs and opportunity in Rodney 6. We will determine the future of our district Locally determined futures RODNEY DISTRICT COUNCIL LTCCP 2009 - 2019 Volume 1 Rodney Tomorrow Progress towards achieving the fi rst outcomes The Council is required to report to the communities of Rodney on progress towards achieving the community outcomes. A monitoring framework was developed with input from partnering agencies and organisations, Council staff and members of the community. The full report on progress (Vision Rodney revisited : monitoring progress on the community outcomes) is available on the Council’s website, www.rodney.govt.nz. This summary table gives an indication of progress. We will not let our We will maintain our We will take care We will be able to We will keep our We will determine the towns and villages lifestyles and look of ourselves while make our living in Indicators country look and feel future of our district sprawl after the environment working with others Rodney Proportion of land that is rural KK Residents’ satisfaction with the rural look and feel L Sense of community JJJ Contact with neighbours JJJ Volunteerism JJJ Pride in the area’s look and feel LL Preservation of the unique character of towns and villages L Satisfaction with the range of services and facilities in the nearest K town or village 41 Satisfaction with Rodney as a place to live JJJJJJ Access to the coastline and beaches J Perception of water pollution problems L Quality of rivers and stream water L Estuary sedimentation K Protection of natural habitats K Perceptions of safety J Crime statistics K Road safety J Rating of own health J Access to GPs J Local employment opportunities J Ability to live and work in Rodney K New businesses J Low achievement of school leavers J High achievement of school leavers J Industry training rate J Success in a range of community outcomes J Public infl uence on Council decision making J Confi dence in Council decision making L Review of key strategic partnerships Not yet available RODNEY DISTRICT COUNCIL LTCCP 2009 - 2019 Rodney Tomorrow Volume 1 A good result is shown as J which may result from an improvement in the indicators, a good baseline result where there is no trend data available or no change but a good result anyway. A bad result is shown as L which may result from a deterioration in performance, a poor baseline measure where there is no trend data available or no change from a poor result. Indicators where we cannot say good or bad are shown as K which may indicate no change from an average performance or a baseline measure that is average. Symbols appear under more than one outcome where the indicator contributes to the evaluation of different outcomes. Why we now have new community outcomes Over time the view of the future changes – based on changed circumstances, new knowledge, and the views of people new to the district. The Local Government Act 2002 therefore requires the Council to facilitate a review of the communities’ outcomes at least once every six years. The Council facilitated the review in 2008 so that the new community outcomes could inform this LTCCP. How we identifi ed the new community outcomes Between June and October 2008 the Council consulted a range of individuals, groups, organisations and agencies, covering rural and urban communities, from within Rodney and from outside the district, all of which contribute to the creation of the future of Rodney. We: • held nine community meetings in Wellsford, Warkworth, Matakana, Helensville, Kumeu, Orewa and on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula 42 • met with the Student Council of a secondary school • solicited written submissions from the community • talked with a number of organisations such as the Ministry of Social Development, the Rodney Economic Development Trust, New Zealand Police • considered past input from individuals and from organisations such as Ngati Whatua Nga Rima o Kaipara. The results of these meetings and community input were turned into a preliminary set of community outcomes and these were distributed to those who had provided input. Changes were made to the draft to refl ect the feedback received and the fi nal document was developed. The new community outcomes – Vision Rodney 2008 The full text of Vision Rodney is available on the Council’s website www.rodney.govt.nz and from any Council offi ce and library. RODNEY DISTRICT COUNCIL LTCCP 2009 - 2019 Volume 1 Rodney Tomorrow The new community outcomes are: Community outcome Outcome statement 1. Prosperous We will have a growing and resilient economy based on a wide variety of businesses that fi t our character 2. Vibrant We will have a range of recreational and cultural facilities and events across the district and we will encourage creativity and diversity 3. Distinctive We will maintain and enhance the character of our townships and rural areas through excellent urban and rural planning and the intelligent management of growth 4. Connected We will have the infrastructure and services needed for our residents, businesses and visitors 5. Safe and healthy We will continue to have a sense of community and we will provide for the emotional and physical wellbeing of our people 6. Clean and green We will continue to value, protect and enjoy the natural environment Underpinning these outcomes are two key concepts. The fi rst of these concepts is Sustainability. During this review of Vision Rodney the word “sustainable” was used many times by many individuals in many contexts. People wanted things as specifi c as individual businesses and as broad as the entire environment to be sustainable. For some it was an overriding concern; for others it was not in the forefront of their thinking at all. 43 We recognise here that sustainability is not an outcome of its own – rather it is an approach that underpins every decision and action. Yes, we want our environment to be managed sustainably; we also want our economy, our infrastructure, our farms, our townships, and our communities to be sustainable. Sustainability therefore becomes a lens through which we see the world, a key factor in determining what actions we will take towards achieving our outcomes, and the long-term foundation upon which the outcomes we have identifi ed depend. The second of these concepts is Collaboration. The fi rst version of Vision Rodney had as one of our outcomes: We will determine the future of our District. During the review people talked of “making decisions that suit Rodney”, of “doing things the Rodney way”, and of “managing change to suit Rodney”. Like the use of the word “sustainable”, people applied this concept of self determination to everything from opting out from commercial power supplies to how we would decide on the future of our townships. Alongside this determination for Rodney’s voices to be heard is the understanding that to achieve the future we have to work together. Individuals, organisations, agencies, businesses and communities – all need to support each other, work together and collaborate to make the desired futures real. By working together, by understanding that a solution that fi ts one place does not necessarily fi t another, by considering local situations and concerns, and by using Rodney’s community outcomes as a framework for action we can deliver the future desired by Rodney’s communities. Collaboration needs to permeate whatever we do, to be part of our style, part of the way we achieve our outcomes.