Huge response from Facebook
2 May 2018
Nearly 400,000 people saw Facebook posts relating to Waipa District Council's draft 10-Year Plan with 10,500 people reacting to that information in some way.
Council's official 10-Year Plan submission period closed on April 20 with more than 800 official submissions lodged, up 72% from three years ago. Of those submissions, around 78% were received online.
Written submissions have now been provided to elected members. Around 80 submitters - the most ever - have asked to present their submission to elected Councillors in person. Hearings will begin on Tuesday 8 May.
Waipa's Communication and Engagement Manager, Natalie Palmer, said more than 500 Facebook comments about 10-Year Plan proposals will also be provided to elected members for their consideration.
Those comments all add to the mix and provide just another way for people to make their views heard.
Like it or loathe it, Facebook was a core pillar of community engagement, she said. Indications suggested more than 90% of New Zealanders have an active Facebook account, checking the site on average 14 times a day.
During the month-long consultation period 7,439 people visited the purpose-built Future Waipa website to provide feedback and more than 3,000 people used a rates calculator to see what impact the Council's proposals would have on their rates.
Council estimates that elected members and staff spoke directly to at least 1,600 local people at a range of informal community events during the consultation period. A further people 400 attended community meetings.