See also...Local Authority Planning
The Local Government Act 2002 sets out the planning framework for local authorities.
The key documents and processes that make up the framework are:
- the long-term council community plan (LTCCP)
- the annual plan
- the annual report
- community outcomes processes.
The planning framework ensures local authorities:
- understand their community’s aspirations and priorities (community outcomes)
- tell the community what the local authority’s long-term plans are, and how they contribute to community outcomes (through the long-term council community plan)
- tell the community the local authority’s short-term activities, and how these will be paid for (through the annual plan)
- tell the community whether the local authority did what it said it would do, and what progress the community is making towards achieving its outcomes (through the annual report and community outcomes monitoring report)
Local authorities also have planning responsibilities under the Resource Management Act 1991. To find out more see the Ministry for the Environment website and the Quality Planning website.
Back to topUnder the Local Government Act 2002, local authorities:
- consult on community outcomes at least every six years
- produce a community outcomes monitoring report at least every three years (reporting progress being made towards achieving community outcomes)
- produce and adopt an LTCCP at least every three years
- produce and adopt an annual plan in each of the two years between LTCCPs (when an LTCCP is adopted it takes the role of an annual plan)
- produce an annual report every year.
The diagram below illustrates a typical cycle that local authorities follow to develop their planning framework.
A planning cycle
Although produced every three years, the information in the LTCCP covers a period of at least ten years.
Back to topThe table below shows a typical timeline for local authority planning requirements. This is not standard across New Zealand. Local authorities decide when and how often they fulfil their planning responsibilities, subject to the minimum requirements of the Local Government Act 2002. Therefore, some local authorities will be following a different timeline.
| 2008 | Annual plan | Annual report | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | LTCCP | Community outcomes monitoring report |
Annual report | |
| 2010 | Annual plan | Annual report | Local authority elections | |
| 2011 | Annual plan | Annual report | Community outcomes consultation |
2012 | LTCCP | Community outcomes published |
Community outcomes monitoring report |
Annual report | 2013 | Annual plan | Annual report | Local authority elections |
| 2014 | Annual plan | Annual report | ||
| 2015 | LTCCP | Community outcomes monitoring report |
Annual report | 2016 | Annual plan | Annual report | Local authority elections |
| 2017 | Annual plan | Annual report | Community outcomes consultation |
2018 | LTCCP | Community outcomes published |
Community outcomes monitoring report |
Annual report |
- LTCCPs are adopted by 30 June
- Annual plans are adopted by 30 June
- Annual reports are produced by 31 October
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. |
