Key Consultation Periods:

Based on the above timeline, key consultation periods are as follows:

• ‘Vision’ Workshops:  To be held in early 2009.  Will be in the form of workshops with the Council groupings.  In respect of the key stakeholders, could either be in the form of workshops (i.e. involving more than one stakeholder group) or more likely a series of meetings with the individual stakeholders (given the need for open communication and the commercial sensitivities that might exist).  The groups involved are internal Council staff, and the key ‘players’ in the District identified above.  EMS will facilitate the discussions and provide some structure, but primarily the focus is on listening to perspectives and identifying issues needing to be addressed and broad responses to those issues.  The workshops will also serve to establish relationships early in the process that will be utilised throughout.
  
  
• Preparation of Issues Papers: Timed for late 2009 and 2010.  The preparation of the papers will be a collaborative exercise with key stakeholders with interests on the different issues.  This will take the form of ongoing communications (meetings, phone calls etc.) as needed to ensure the issues are well understood.  While the issues papers may indicate a broad Council preference on the approach to deal with an issue, the key aim is to stimulate debate and ‘put all the issues on the table’.  Stakeholders involved will be key ‘players’ identified above, but also the advocacy groups such as Federated Farmers, Fish and Game etc. to widen the debate.
  
  
• Focus groups:  Focus groups should commence in late 2009 as part of the lead-in to the formulation of the draft District Plan.  It is considered important that the draft District Plan reflects the outcomes of the settlement concept plans and the LTCCP, and to avoid taking a ‘clean sheet of paper’ to the focus groups.  It is important that Council be seen to have understood and acted on the outcomes of the public consultation from those earlier processes.  The focus groups are envisaged to be based on the four settlements, rural and business/development, and can focus on the detail of the evolving District Plan.  The focus groups may be in the form of monthly meetings (perhaps 2 to 3 for each), and re-form in 2011 following the closing of the feedback period on the draft District Plan, to consider that feedback and contribute to the evolution of the Proposed District Plan.
  
• Consultation on draft District Plan:  To be conducted in mid 2011 with copies of the draft District Plan circulated to all groups involved to that point.  Follow up meetings with stakeholders and focus groups as needed to clarify responses received and issues raised.  Will also involve the ‘general public’ for the first time at this stage.  Likely to be in the form of public open days or a road show and will aim to inform the public about the process and the issues, and receive feedback on the draft District Plan.  The draft District Plan will also be placed on Council’s website.
  
  
• Statutory RMA process:  Commences when Council publicly notifies the Proposed District Plan (early 2012).  The focus then shifts from Council facilitating the debate to ensure the issues and perspectives are well understood, to Council adopting policy positions on all the issues and defending those issues through the submissions and hearing processes.  Once notified the process becomes far more rigid and Council can only respond to submissions received through the hearing process, and by lodging its own submission or further submissions. 

The issues of the key ‘players’ should be well understood by this time, and ideally they are supportive of the approach and detail of the Proposed District Plan so that fundamental disagreements do not have to be dealt with in the hearings process.  The exception to this is where Council has consciously decided to adopt an opposing position.
Significant changes in approach late in the process should be avoided if possible and a ‘no surprises’ approach adopted throughout.  The draft District Plan will flag initial Council positions and approaches.  While these positions and approaches will likely change as a result of the feedback received, such changes should be discussed with the affected stakeholders.  Accordingly, when the Proposed District Plan is publicly notified, any significant changes have been discussed with the relevant stakeholders beforehand.