The Thames Coromandel District Council's Draft Long Term Plan for 2015 – 2025 will go out for public consultation in March next year.

A draft Term Plan consultation document will approved by council by the end of January which will also go out for public consultation in early March.

The Draft Long Term Plan will indicate what the priorities are and what level of service the council can deliver over the next ten years.

Council says other issues are being looked at in the draft plan, like development contributions, lower growth projections, capital expenditures, the NZ Transport Authority subsidy, and a projected increase to bank interest rates.

New community facility projects can no longer be funded by development contributions, says council.

'Government legislation has changed on what can be funded by development contributions which reduces our sources of funding for future projects.

'We have just approved a draft Development Contributions Policy which will go out for public consultation at the same time as the Long Term Plan consultation in March 2015.”

Contributions are charged for all residential developments; from a new house to a large apartment block, plus non-residential developments, subdivisions, and for some changes of land use.

Sustainable, affordable development is being encouraged and council will be looking at revising development contribution costs.

The council says the district has lower growth projections than in its last two Long Term Plans, but it's the fact that this projected low growth isn't consistent across the District.

'Even a small decrease to the growth projections would see no new development and therefore no increase in rateable units,” says Council. 'So any additional projects or level of service would increase rates to existing ratepayers.”

Council will also be defining projects better than what it did in the past, meaning 'projects and risks are better understood before they are initiated”.

The NZTA roading subsidy will also be calculated by a new method, says council.

The current subsidy is 43 per cent – the lowest in the country - but will also increase to 46 per cent in Year One and there will be further increases of 1 per cent until the subsidy reaches 52 per cent.

Bank interest rates have also been projected to increase, says council.

Timeline of Draft Long Term Plan dates:

• January 2015. Council approves Draft LTP consultation document for Audit NZ.
• March 2015. Council approves Draft LTP consultation document for public consultation.
• March - April. Public consultation period.
• Late April. Hearings.
• May. Deliberations.
• June. Second audit undertaken by Audit NZ.
• Late June. Adopt final Development Contribution Policy, Revenue and Financing Policy and final 2015 - 2025 LTP.