Public consultation

We have the following consultations currently open for your feedback:

• Coastal Hazards and Resilience
• Porirua Adventure Park - Local Government Act Consultation
  
• Bylaw and Policy Consultations
• Reserves Management Plan Review 

The following consultations have closed:

• Our Draft District Plan (closed 30 November 2018)
  
• Growth Strategy
  
• Aotea rangatahi youth space
  
• Aotea Reservoir (closed 24 September 2018)
  
• Porirua Adventure Park (closed 31 October 2018)

We often use formal consultation to invite the community’s views and responses to initiatives, strategies and plans we have for Porirua City. Consultation helps us inform people about any actions we may take and gather their feedback. This is usually done through public meetings and meetings with resident associations, businesses and community groups, as well as by receiving written and oral submissions.

For some important decisions, we are legally required to follow certain principles and a “special consultative procedure”: Local Government Act 2002.

We have to follow these principles and procedure before we:

• adopt a Long-term Plan or Annual Plan 
  
• amend a Long-term Plan 
  
• adopt, revoke, review or amend a bylaw 
  
• transfer a significant activity (for example, from the council to a council-controlled organisation or from a council-controlled organisation to a private sector organisation) – unless it is already provided for in a Long-term Plan. 
  

This procedure is considered the minimum we must do to consult the community and get feedback. We may also use the procedure for other proposals or decisions, so that the community can be involved and share their views.

Read about the Special consultative procedure.

The steps we follow for a special consultative procedure are:

1. Prepare a statement about the proposed decision or course of action. The statement may be distributed to the community or inspected at our offices, and will be included on the agenda of a council meeting. 
   
2. Publish a public notice in local newspapers about the proposal and the consultation we’re undertaking. 
   
3. Receive submissions. We acknowledge all written submissions and give a fair opportunity for people to make an oral submission. 
   
4. Discuss the proposal at a public meeting. 
   
5. Follow up by providing submitters with a copy of the decision and summary of the reasons for it.