Our big issues

COVID-19 response and recovery

If we experience a resurgence of COVID-19, are there particular things you would like Council to do in response? The same things we did previously? Other things?

What are the positives that have come out of the pandemic you would like us to keep doing or support in the community?

Our response to the pandemic – both the impacts it’s had on our district, and what we need to do to rebuild and prepare for future impacts – is a critical element of this Long-term Plan. We’ve developed a Recovery Plan that takes a broad approach, tackling issues and opportunities that are both within the direct remit of local government while supporting, with other organisations, other initiatives that will contribute to our district’s recovery.

Read our Recovery plan.

Managing growth

As our district grows, what do you think good growth looks like?

Forecasts estimate that over the next 30 years or so, our current population of 55,000 will grow by approximately 30,000 – a higher level of growth than anticipated in our last Long-term Plan. We must carefully plan for greater demand on Council infrastructure and services, and the growing pressure on our environment.

Managing growth the right way will help maintain what people value about Kāpiti as well as how we can benefit from growth. This is a core role of Council and involves all our services from future-proofing infrastructure to processing building permits. Council can influence the nature of growth through our policies and plans, which means an ongoing conversation with the community about what we want to see.

Responding to climate change

We have made good progress on reducing Council’s emissions, however, achieving further gains will cost more. Should we continue to prioritise emissions reduction within Council?

The effects of climate change are being experienced in different ways across the district, for example, for our coastal communities and infrastructure such as the seawall in Paekākāriki. As climate change impacts become more severe and costs to respond increase, how do we ensure equity across the district?

We have developed a strategic framework to guide our decision-making and we want to know if you think we’ve got it right. 

Our climate is changing and like many coastal communities around Aotearoa, we’re vulnerable to a wide range of environmental challenges. We need to make some big decisions now to protect our district’s future.

Read pages 41 in our consultation document, Securing our future to learn more Responding to climate change.

Strengthening our resilience

What else can Council do to help build community resilience?

How can Council encourage households’ emergency preparedness?

Should we explore different options for how we insure our assets? We could:

• reduce our cover/increase our excess?
• self-insure more/increase our reserves?

The pandemic demonstrated the need for resilience in a way we haven’t encountered before. It was hard for the most vulnerable in our community and showed there are areas we can strengthen.

Our COVID-19 Recovery Plan, which sets out actions for the Council and our partners, emphasises resilience across our district – whether we’re working to reactivate our economy through our Love Local campaign or supporting events that help the community reconnect.

We also need to be ready for emergencies and consider how we protect our assets in the face of climate change.

Access to housing

How Council could contribute further to addressing housing access and affordability is set out in our first key decision: should Council take a bigger role in housing?

Housing accessibility in Kāpiti is a significant and worsening problem, and people are concerned. It’s also harder for people to afford to rent or buy compared to the rest of the Wellington region and nationally, and there is an increasing demand for both social and emergency housing. 

We have increased our activity in this space already, but this Long-term Plan we’re asking if you think we should get more actively involved.

Government changes impacting Council

What’s important for you about Council’s role?

What should we advocate for

Central government is making some major changes in the local government sector that will have a significant impact for communities and the role of councils. Examples include potential changes to the three waters services, and the Resource Management Act reform.

In addition to these specific changes, the Government’s expectations of local government authorities are increasing. The local government sector is seeking to widen the conversation with central government about how the expectations can be sustained.