As at the 7th March we are still uncertain if the Council will engage with the public on the Annual Plan for 2026-27 ……. indications are that this will not happen.

One of the reasons given has been the cost of consultation.

So what is the cost of a public consultation?

• Council staff suggested the cost was $120k to do a public consultation on the forthcoming annual plan, based on the costs of the recent representation review
  
• This seemed like a lot to us.  So we asked what the actual cost of the representation review was …. It’s actually around $69,000 (see copy of OIR below)
  
• But you need to subtract from that, the work that the Council staff would have to do anyway – whether there is public consultation or not
  
• Once you do that, the cost of the work – where Council actually talks to the community – is $51,000

See table below for breakdown of costings

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If you think Council should be consulting with the public please let your elected representatives know.

Some suggested wording below, but please put this into your own words and send direct to your districtwide and ward councillors (contact details can be found HERE)

Subject: Lack of consultation

Dear Councillor/ Council/ Mayor

As a ratepayer/resident of [town/ward], I strongly oppose the current annual planning process, as it does not include full consultation with the community. The timeline does not allow consultation before Council votes to approve the Annual Plan and the resulting rate increase. An information campaign alone is not sufficient.

I believe proper consultation is needed because [provide 1–2 clear reasons — e.g., many residents cannot afford the increase / the financial impact is significant / future planning processes will not be able to reverse this / upcoming legislative changes should be considered].

I urge you to vote NO on the motion to approve the Annual Plan and the proposed rate increases.

[For individual Councillors] I look forward to hearing your position on this matter and what steps you intend to take.

Your sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address/Contact Info]

Cost of consultation for the representation review OIR

2526-287 Signed response letter Michael re representation reviewDownload