What's important Central Otago: 2025-34 Long-term Plan

Please note: This consultation does not open until late March but in the meantime this page will provide some key information to get the conversation started. Please be patient as the content on this page will be updated until 19 March.

Every three years Council adopts a Long-term Plan (LTP) that outlines the strategic direction and funding priorities for the future. When significant changes are proposed in the LTP, the community is encouraged to review those changes and provide input to help inform decision-making. For the 2025-2034 LTP, the Council is asking the community, 'What's important?". Nine key topics will be up for consideration, and while some details are still to be finalised, the following brief explanations outline the challenging decisions on the table for discussion.

	Water done well. This question focuses on the future delivery of water services. Currently all water services are managed by CODC, but there may be opportunities in the future to shift water services to a separate council-owned organisation or collaborate with neighbouring councils to develop multi-council water service organisations. The community's input will help guide these decisions.
	Volumetric water charges. The water bill you currently receive from Council includes a fixed charge and a usage (volumetric) charge. This question asks whether the fixed charge should be reduced in favour of increasing the usage charge. The aim is to better align the water bill with the actual water usage.
	Community halls and facilities. We have a number of community halls and facilities in our district and some of them are in need of significant repairs and/or earthquake strengthening. This question seeks feedback on whether some of these facilities should be divested, considering their ongoing maintenance needs and usage.
	Ida MacDonald Roxburgh Pool Punawai Ora. The Roxburgh community fundraised and built a state-of-the-art facility that the whole community enjoys. However, there are insufficient resources (both staffing and financial) to maintain the facility long-term. This question asks whether Council should take on the management of the pool to ensure its sustainability.
	Alexandra outdoor pool. The outdoor pool opened 20 years ago and there has been a steady decline in its use. This question is about whether it is time to permanently decommission the outdoor pool. This will not impact the indoor pool, which is heavily used.
	Manuherekia Valleys Community Hub. The Manuherekia Valleys Charitable Trust, along with the local community, has raised funds to build a community hub. However, they are seeking an additional $1.6 million from Council to complete the project. This question asks whether Council should provide funding to support the completion of the hub.
	Supercars Championships at Highland Motorsport Park. Supercars is the premier motorsport category in Australasia. This question is about whether Council should support bringing this event to Cromwell by providing a $250,000 grant.
	Artificial Turf at Maniototo Area School. Maniototo Area School and organising committee have asked Council for a $200,000 grant to extend the current turf footprint by 10m and include an asphalt court alongside. This question is about whether Council supports this request. Artificial Turf at Dunstan High School. Molyneux Turf Incorporated (MTI) in conjunction with Dunstan High School, is seeking a $300,000 grant for the development of a full-sized multipurpose artificial turf. This question seeks community feedback on whether Council should support this request to improve sports facilities in the area.

We want to hear from you from late March 2025. More details to come.