Travel costs and annual plan top council agenda

The Rotorua Lakes Council will meet again tomorrow. Photo/File

A request for $5000 travel costs for a trip to China and a proposal to go out for public consultation for this year's annual plan will be decided on by Rotorua district councillors at their next meeting.

Rotorua Lakes Council will meet in the council chamber from 9.30am tomorrow with five recommendations from staff on the agenda as well as one confidential item regarding the sale of surplus council property.

Councillors will make a decision on a business case to send Mayor Steve Chadwick and councillor and cultural adviser Trevor Maxwell to China.

The visit would coincide with an all-expenses paid trip to Boryeong City in South Korea after the two cities signed an events partnership agreement in June last year.

Rotorua's new Mud Festival is based on the South Korean city's enormously popular festival of the same name and Mrs Chadwick has also been invited to be a keynote speaker at a tourism symposium in Incheon while in South Korea.

The invitation includes the offer of flights, accommodation and meals for the length of their stay in South Korea.

However, as part of Rotorua's Sister City relationship with Suzhou City, Wuzhong District, and Economic Co-operation Agreement with Jiangning, District of Nanjing where Nanjing Rotorua Town is located, Mrs Chadwick has put forward a business case to travel to those areas to cement relationships with Chinese officials.

It is also the 20th anniversary of the Sister City relationship between
Rotorua and Suzhou City.

The cost would be a total of $5058 for Mrs Chadwick and Mr Maxwell, flying premium economy class from Rotorua and four nights' accommodation.

Honorary Citizen of Rotorua David Chin, who is based in China, has offered to accompany Mrs Chadwick and Mr Maxwell while they are in the country.

Mr Chin has also offered to provide his time, transportation and translation services free.

A proposal to go out for public consultation for this year's annual plan process will also be discussed.

Last year, new Government legislation allowed councils not to have to consult if there were no significant projects or issues to consult on, meaning the council did not go out for consultation.

But, if passed, the council will start public consultation from April 10 with submissions closing on May 12. Hearings will be held in May and June.

According to an agenda report, "the final annual plan when adopted in June is intended to be an exception-based document focused on changes between the long-term plan and the proposed annual plan".

However, the agenda report does not state what changes the council will be consulting on. When asked for more details yesterday, chief financial officer Thomas Colle said:
"Details and explanation regarding consultation on the 2017/18 annual plan will be provided at Wednesday's full council meeting."

Councillors will also decide who will represent the council at the upcoming Local Government New Zealand conference along with chief executive Geoff Williams, deputy mayor Dave Donaldson and one member of Te Tatou o Te Arawa Board.