Community Outcomes
What are community outcomes?
Community outcomes are a desired state or ideal that the community identifies and believes is important for its present and future wellbeing. They essentially embody a collective community vision for the future.
The detailed community outcomes of the Whakatane District are included in the Ten-year Council Community Plan (Ten-year Plan). community outcomes.pdf
The Council's Role
Under the Local Government Act 2002, councils are required to facilitate a process to identify the desired community outcomes and priorities for their communities once every six years.
The Council’s role in the community outcomes process is to:
- facilitate the process;
- promote or achieve the outcomes (being one of the parties that is capable of doing so and to the extent that the elected Council deems appropriate in the Plan); and
- monitor and report on progress towards the achievement of community outcomes.
Community outcomes are a judgement of the community and therefore belong to the community. The Council does not adopt/approve the outcomes in the sense that it adopts the Ten-year Plan.
The outcomes identified are intended to guide the planning processes of local authorities, but are not binding on them. Through the Ten-year Plan, the Council is required to identify what role, if any, it will have in achieving the identified community outcomes.
The community outcomes cannot be achieved by Council alone. The outcomes will only be achieved if a wide range of groups and organisations including community groups, central government, iwi and business, as well as the Council, all play a role in implementation. The Council will continue to work with others to further the community outcomes.
How were community outcomes identified
To identify community outcomes for the Whakatane District and for the Eastern Bay of Plenty, the Council participated in a joint project with Environment Bay of Plenty, Kawerau District Council and Opotiki District Council. This project was named “Eastern Bay – Beyond Today” (see www.easternbay.org.nz)