When heritage proposals descended on Thorndon three years ago, the TRA members and Thorndon residents generally, unveiled numerous shortfalls in WCC’s consultation and engagement approach especially from a residents’ perspective.
The Citizens Engagement Directorate had existed for quite some time. Yet by 2012, apparently the Council continues to struggle to effectively communicate with impacted communities.
Could this be yet another recent example? The Mayor is moved to observe “… a significant Plan Change … may not have been sufficiently clear.” That’s a scenario that will resonate with many TRA members! The Mayor also refers to an unsatisfactory situation which “… highlighted the importance of how the Council communicates planning information to potentially affected communities.”
A number of years have passed since the Citizen Engagement directorate was established. Hasn’t there been sufficient time to overhaul WCC’s consultation/community engagement processes, especially when it comes to District Planning proposals?
