Long Term Plan

The long-term plan (LTP) is the key planning tool for councils across New Zealand. It sets out the Council’s plans for the next 10 years – what projects we’re committing to complete and how they will be paid for.

These plans are shaped in consultation with our community and built around its priorities.

During September we asked you for feedback on various topics relating to the District's 2024–2034 Long-Term Plan,with almost 800 people giving feedback through surveys online, over the phone and in-person, and a first-of-its-kind scavenger hunt where people could scan QR codes to fill out surveys and go in the draw to win prizes, supported by local businesses.

Sustainable community the vision for the future

Residents overwhelmingly highlighted the importance of a ‘sustainable Selwyn’, where the district is self-sufficient with services and facilities that cater to people at all stages of life and the environment is cared for.

“The community has been clear in its ambitions and they've shared an exciting vision for the future,” Mayor Sam Broughton says. “Now we need to work together with our community on a plan for achieving those, including what the realistic costs are and what trade-offs may be required.”

There was a strong desire to make Selwyn a ‘one-stop-shop,’— where people can work and live at all stages of life, without needing to go anywhere else.

To make this possible people indicated a desire for the district to become more economically innovative, and a better spread of infrastructure and services across the district, Council Chief Executive Sharon Mason says.

“There’s a strong feeling that people love what we have, with 86% of people saying they have a positive experience of living here. People love our rural character and affordability. There’s also a strong desire for clear planning, to protect that, particularly around infrastructure and around access to services across Selwyn.”

Social and Environmental wellbeing was also a strong focus for respondents, with protection of water sources (rated as a very high or high priority by 97% of respondents) and access to green spaces (rated high or very high by 94%), seen as the highest priorities.

To make this possible, people identified a desire for smart growth including proactive infrastructure planning and building up, not out in urban centres as well as more sustainable agriculture.

Residents also indicated  an openness to necessary funding decisions including increasing rates if it was to achieve their priorities.

Of the respondents, 33% lived rurally and 7% of respondents were farmers, while 25% identified with ethnicities other than New Zealand European including 9% Māori, 7% Asian and 5% Middle Eastern, African or Latin American.

Read the full feedback report [PDF, 2117 KB].

Next steps

The draft Long-Term Plan will be released in April 2024 for residents to provide further feedback and make submissions, with residents given the opportunity to provide submissions and attend hearings.

A final Long-Term Plan 2024-2034 must be adopted by the Council before the next financial year, beginning 1 July 2024.