See also...Long-Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP)
- What is the LTCCP?
- Purpose
- The LTCCP and community outcomes
- LTCCPs and other planning documents
- Further information and links
LTCCP stands for long-term council community plan.
The LTCCP is the key strategic planning document for local authorities in New Zealand.
The LTCCP describes how the local authority will fulfil its responsibilities under the Local Government Act 2002 to promote the well-being of its community, and enable democratic local decision-making.
The LTCCP:
|
The LTCCP brings together in one document all the local authority’s activities, and how they are paid for. It also identifies community outcomes, and tells the community how the local authority’s activities will help achieve these outcomes.
Local authorities consult widely with their community when writing the LTCCP. It is the main opportunity for local people to have their say in local decision-making. The plan is given direction by what the community thinks is important, as described by the community outcomes. Once adopted, the LTCCP can be changed only after appropriate consultation with the community.
LTCCPs are audited by the Office of the Controller and Auditor-General. Auditors check that the LTCCP complies with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002, that the underlying information is robust and that the plan is useful for its purpose. The auditor’s report is published as part of the LTCCP.
(Local Government Act s94)
Under section 93 of the Local Government Act 2002, the purpose of the LTCCP is to:
|
Community outcomes describe the things that the community thinks are important for their future well-being. Local authorities lead the community outcomes processes in their area, which enables local people to identify the community outcomes for where they live.
Community outcomes are used to guide and inform the long term plans of local authorities. Community outcomes are a key component of the LTCCP.
Under schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 2002, the LTCCP must:
|
Community outcomes belong to the community. Local authorities do not have to adopt community outcomes as council outcomes, but the LTCCP must explain
- how the local authority's activities will contribute to achieving community outcomes
- how the local authority will work with other agencies to achieve community outcomes.
This is a vital function of the LTCCP. It tells the community what the local authority will do and why, and how the local authority plans take into account what the community has said is important.
(KnowHow Guide - The Local Government Act 2002: An Overview. LGNZ, SOLGM, DIA, 2003 p 33) (pdf 665kb)
The LTCCP is the key planning document for local authorities, and is produced every three years. Local authorities also produce annual plans and annual reports, which are linked closely to the LTCCP.
Annual plan
In each of the two years between the LTCCP local authorities must produce an annual plan.
The annual plan explains activities and expenditure for the next financial year. It is the main budget setting plan for local authorities. The annual plan tells the community what it can expect the local authority to do over the next twelve months, and how this will be paid for. The local authority must explain any variations between the annual plan and the LTCCP.
The plan is adopted before the start of the financial year in July, following a submission process. Significant changes can only be made through the LTCCP process.
In the year that an LTCCP is produced, it is regarded as the annual plan for that year.
(Local Government Act s95)Annual report
The annual report explains the actual activity of the local authority in the past financial year, and compares this with the intended activities and level of performance described in the LTCCP. The annual report tells the community whether the local authority did what it said it would do.
The report also details what has been spent, and any progress towards achieving community outcomes.
The annual report promotes the accountability of the local authority to the community. Annual reports are audited, and must be adopted by 31 October each year.
(Local Government Act s98)
Read more about the local authority planning cycle.
Regional and District Plans
Regional and district plans are also important planning documents for local authorities. They are different from an LTCCP. The regional and district plans relate to the management of the environment and are required by the Resource Management Act 1991.
- Information from the Ministry for the Environment about regional and district plans.
- Information from the Quality Planning website about the relationship between the Local Government Act 2002 and the Resource Management Act 1991 .
| The LTCCP is the heart of the new planning framework. It is a key mechanism for local authorities to work with communities. In future years it is possible that much of the other planning that the local authority does (for example the district plan, community recreation strategies) will be co-ordinated by the LTCCP (Source: KnowHow Guide: The Local Government Act 2002 An overview. DIA and LGNZ, 2003, p27) |
Back to top
- Local Government New Zealand LTCCP question and answer factsheet
- www.localcouncils.govt.nz - Local authority planning and consultation processes
- The Local Government Act 2002
- Matters arising from the 2006-2016 Long-term Council Community Plans
