Glossary

Activity:
Goods or Services provided by or on behalf of Council.

Activity Groups:
Related activities clustered together under a single category, such as ‘community facilities’.

Annual Report:
A report that Council prepares once a year to assess performance against its objectives, activities, performance targets and budgets outlined in the Long-term Council Community Plan.

Asset:
A resource controlled by Council, such as a park, road, stormwater system, water or wastewater plant.

Asset Management Plans:
Plans that provide operational guidance concerning service standards, maintenance and capital costs for assets such as parks, roads, stormwater systems, water and wastewater plants.

Assumptions:
A statement that is used as a basis for making particular predictions that may or may not occur.

Capital Expenditure:
Money spent to build or buy a new asset or to improve the standard of an existing asset.

Community:
A network of people and organisations linked together by factors such as (geographic community), common interest or identity (hapu, voluntary organisation) or administrative community (the District).

Community Grant:
A sum of money (or goods and service provided in lieu of money) provided by Council or community boards to non-profit organisations within the District.

Community Outcomes:
A set of aspirations that reflect the community’s desires for economic, social, environmental, and cultural well-being.

Council Organisation:
Any organisation in which Council owns or controls any portion of voting rights or has the right to appoint one or more director, trustees, etc.

Council Controlled Organisation (CCO):
An organisation in which Council owns or controls 50 percent or more of the voting rights or has the right to appoint 50 percent or more of the directors of the organisation.

Differential Rating:
A technique used to ‘differentiate’ or change the relative rates between different categories of rateable land in order to adjust the rating burden on one or more groups of ratepayers.

District Plan:
A detailed plan of the way the District’s environment will be managed to achieve the purpose and principles of the Resource Management Act 1991.

Equity:
Also known as net worth. The total value of assets less total liabilities.

Funding Impact Statement:
A Document that includes information that discloses revenue and financing mechanisms and indicates the level or amount of funds to be produced by each mechanism.

Levels of Service:
The service parameters or requirements for a particular activity or service area against which service performance may be measured. Service levels usually relate to quality, quantity, reliability, responsiveness, environmental acceptability and cost.

Long-Term Council Community Plan:
A ten-year plan adopted every three years under section 93 of the Local Government Act 2002. It describes Council’s activities, why it participates in these activities and how the activities will be funded.

New Zealand Drinking Water Standard:
Drinking water standards set by the Ministry of Health.

Operating Costs:
Money spent to deliver a service, maintain an asset, or any other expenditure, which does not buy, or build on, a new asset.

Revenue and Financing Policy:
A comprehensive policy stating how each activity of Council is to be funded from rates, user charges, subsidies, other income or combination of these.

Significance:
The degree of importance attached by Council to an issue, proposal, decision or other matter in terms of its likely impact on the wellbeing of the District.

Significant Decision:
A Council decision that has a high degree of importance in terms of economic, social, environmental, or cultural wellbeing.

Statutory Requirements:
Requirements identified and defined by the law.

Strategic Plan:
Long-term strategy for the District approved by Council