Upper Hutt City Council

Your Council

I am proud, just like all of you, to live in Upper Hutt.  We are still a city that holds the values that many small towns in New Zealand once had.  We are close to everything – just 25 minutes from the capital and only minutes away from the river and hills, which surround our area.  We are a very strong, family friendly community.  We have a developing national defence and bio-security hub and housing still remains the most affordable in the Wellington region. I know the future of Upper Hutt will be positive and vibrant.
 
While we know a global economic downturn is occurring as we produce this ten year plan, we have continued to focus on projects that will add to the quality of this fine city.  Council also remains committed to delivering the basic services such as roads, water and waste, that is our core business.  We know this will continue to provide Upper Hutt with an advantage over other cities who fail to see the importance of focusing on the vital infrastructure.  When the economic climate turns for the better we need to have this city positioned to take advantage of the changing economic cycles.
 
During the extensive consultation phase on the LTCCP, you, the public, made it clear what you wanted Council to focus expenditure on.  You told us that you are most interested in Council enhancing the city’s walking and cycle facilities and developing a hockey turf earlier.  You also noted that you wanted to extend and review the solid waste and recycling service and increasingly see our city becoming environmentally conscious.  We have also heard you in regards to the new library proposal and the Akatarawa Cemetery chapel/crematorium proposal.  Consequently development of the chapel will no longer go ahead and rather than building a new library we propose to renovate the existing building.  This will not only increase its size by 35%, but also provide the essential top ranked requirements on the library that were highlighted during the consultation with the community in October 2007.
 
The future and the way the city develops in the next ten years has been guided by you.  I believe we have produced a ten year plan that is what the citizens of Upper Hutt want and deserve - to create a city that we are proud of today and we know that our children will be proud of in the future.  And we should all be proud, because as a city we are leading the way in many different areas, from our regionally acclaimed entertainment and leisure centres to our nationally acclaimed community programmes and council services, such as the youth strategy and Activation.  It is not just our focal projects which are acclaimed – even our online cemetery database, which allows users to view all headstones and plaques at the Akatarawa Cemetery, has reached an international audience.  Your Council is determined to see our city grow sustainably, while at the same time, continuing to protect our semi rural feel, our environment and natural resources.
  
I am pleased to present the Long Term Council Community Plan 2009 - 2019 (including the 2009-2010 Annual Plan, which includes some very exciting projects, yet at the same time, continues to remain financially prudent.

Wayne Guppy

Top