The groundwork has been laid, and now Waitaki District Council is ready to put its Transformation Programme into action.

The much-discussed programme will continue on to Phase 3 - implementation, following the completion of the first two phases - discovery, and planning.

Waitaki District councillors voted unanimously in support of the programme's continuation, which aims to modernise the council and its services, at a meeting yesterday (Tuesday).

The implementation phase is described in the meeting agenda as – “broad, whole-of-organisation, transformational change”.

“Phase 3 will see the implementation of that change in the way we work, deliver and engage, in our systems and processes, and ultimately in our organisational culture,” the agenda said. 

The predicted cost of the programme remains on track, with the current estimated three-year expenditure of $4,507,431 within the range of the estimate expenditure in the business case, of $4,495,000, according to the agenda. Technology estimates are expected to vary however, with changing needs.

Since the beginning of this year, council staff have been exploring improvements to the way they operate.

In this next phase it is hoped the community will start to see the effects of the changes, and how that transfers to improvements in the way the council delivers services for Waitaki residents.

Waitaki mayor Gary Kircher said the council wants the plan to continue.

“This is about us becoming a better, more responsive, more efficient council and I don’t think there’s too many people in the Waitaki District who wouldn’t want us to strive for that.” 

Councillor John McCone moved the recommendation to proceed with the next phase of the transformation. 

“We can’t afford to stop now, we’ve got to go the whole hog … with any risk there is always a challenge, but the opportunities outweigh the negatives and I think it’s very important that it’s driven fast to get it done, so it doesn’t linger, and that it’s backed by everyone involved.” 

In seconding the motion, councillor Jim Thomson said, “we’re either in this, or we’re not … so let’s make it happen”.

Also in support of the motion, Councillor Jim Hopkins said the need for fundamental change is inescapable.

“Because of the growing community pressure regarding affordability and costs.” 

The increasing complexity and cost of central government legislation is threatening the viability of small councils, he said.

“Like it or not we are a small council. We only have 14,000 ratepayers and have a level of assets and facilities that is historically and nationally unique, that cannot and will not sustain and continue unless we reinvent ourselves.”

Councillor Tim Blackler acknowledged there is a risk to the process council was about to embark on, but agreed “we all need to take that first step together and get on with the programme”.

Until now, that programme has been focused within the council, looking at what can be and needs to be changed, and how those changes can be made.

Legislative and core services will remain, but how services are delivered, and the public experiences them, should improve.

Council chief executive Alex Parmley said it is a credit to “hard-working council staff” that they are now able to begin the “implementation phase” of transformation.

“In the next month we will start to engage our community in shaping the future of the district and the council. 

“In the coming months we will also engage residents and customers in shaping some of the specific changes we are looking to make.

“Our aim is to ensure that we provide an improved customer experience, that we engage better, we are able to partner well to deliver the services and outcomes our community needs and that we improve the value for money for ratepayers and service users. 

“This is a big change and a necessary one to deal with the reforms we face, and respond to the changing needs of our district and communities. And whilst it will be challenging, we aim to ensure at the end of the process we have a council better placed to meet the needs and expectations of the residents of Waitaki.”

While it was necessary for early work on preparing for the plan to be largely internal, the council recognises its essential role in serving the community and is committed to the wider community being involved in the process. More information will be released in the weeks to come.