Town Centre
Infrastructure

What we're reducing

We will prioritise maintaining and renewing the existing infrastructure over doing any major upgrades.

In the last Long Term Plan there was strong community support for revitalising our town centres. We included over $3 million over five years for capital upgrades (things like bins, new footpaths, new street furniture, or other street infrastructure etc), as well as developing place plans for all three town centres.

Why are we reducing funding for this?

Over the last few years we’ve worked alongside the community to develop place plans (Pride of Place) for all three town centres. The direction from those plans hasn’t been about costly bricks and mortar improvements – but about partnerships and activities that create a sense of vibrancy and chances for people to connect. Based on that feedback, we’re going to prioritise maintaining and renewing the existing infrastructure over doing any major upgrades. The capital funding will be removed but we will continue with operational funding to deliver on Pride of Place.

Here's what's in the 2024-2034 Long Term Plan
What was in the 2021-31 Long Term Plan?

Prioritise maintenance and renewals and Pride of Place

We’re proposing to prioritise maintaining and renewing the existing infrastructure over doing any major upgrades.

This would mean removing the capital funding, but continuing with operational funding to deliver on Pride of Place – focussing on making our towns vibrant places for people to connect.

Standard of service this would provide:

No change/minor improvement to town centres.

Impact on debt:

$Nil.

Average additional operating cost per year:

$123,000 per year over 10 years, the majority of which is funded from reserves rather than rates.

Average additional cost per property per year:

$0.20 per year over 10 years.

Town centre revitalisation project

The Long Term Plan included a town centre revitalisation project, including comprehensive engagement, designing changes with the community to reflect their aspirations for the CBDs.

This included both operational funding, maintenance funding and $648,000 per year for the first five years of capital funding for infrastructure upgrades.