The Community Plan has as its strategic base in the Ashburton District’s community outcomes - long-term goals the community has identified it wants to work towards for the future. Council facilitated a process to identify community outcomes during 2005 with local communities contributing to ensure outcome statements reflect our aspirations as a District. Community outcomes belong to the community and Council is only one community organisation, albeit a key one, capable of contributing to achieving the community’s goals.

The Community Plan details the facilities and services Council will provide, how much these will cost and how they are to be funded. For each activity, the Plan provides a rationale for why Council intends carrying out this activity, the goals of carrying out the activity, service targets and performance measures, what Council currently does, current and future trends and issues which might impact on the activity, and activity management details. The Plan also contains policies Council uses to guide decision-making processes. Council makes the Community Plan available to the community for consultation prior to its adoption.

The first three years of the Community Plan are in detail with the following seven years based on current proposals. The Plan must be reviewed at least every three years, with the next Community Plan required to be prepared in 2012, covering the years through to 2021.

The Ashburton District Community Plan 2009-19 can be found here.

The Annual Plan
 

In years when Council does not produce a Community Plan it must produce an Annual Plan. This document details its budget and work programme for the coming year. The Annual Plan is based on year two or three of the Community Plan (depending on the year) and provides up-to-date budget and work programme forecasts and highlights any significant variances from what was proposed in the Community Plan.

The Annual Report
 

Each year Council must produce an Annual Report. This details Council’s performance in achieving the targets set in the Annual or Community Plan. The Annual Report includes a statement of Council’s financial position, and is assessed independently by Council’s auditors to ensure transparency and material accuracy.

Community Outcomes & State of the Community

Community outcomes are statements of what our community wants for its future and have been identified through consultation with the community. Our community outcomes provide Council with strategic signposts that guide Council decisions and activities.

The community outcomes were developed in 2005 when the Council held a series of meetings with key agencies and community groups to talk about issues and priorities thought important for the district over the next few years.  Over 100 people attended these meetings with around 70 different groups and agencies were represented.  The Council also surveyed local residents and received comments from over 600 people on a wide range of issues relating to the community.  From this information Council prepared a Community Vision document with specific objectives describing the way residents would like the district to be and the issues residents consider priorities for the future. 

Council's first State of the Community (community outcomes monitoring) Report was released in mid 2009.  For more information please click here.