Strategy and Policy Committee endorses Strategic Direction
In the Strategy and Policy Committee meeting today, Councillors endorsed the updated Strategic Direction for the Long Term Plan which will help guide Environment Canterbury's organisational decision-making and engagement with the community.
Refreshing our strategic direction
Our Strategic Direction | Ā mātou aronga rautaki has been developed through a series of councillor workshops and responds to a changing environment for local government, including reform, economic pressures, climate-related challenges and advances in technology.
It will provide the framework for Council decision-making, organisational priorities and development of the Long-Term Plan 2027–37, while also helping guide engagement with communities, partners and stakeholders.
After voting to include the word ‘environmental’ alongside ‘fiscal' responsibility as a guiding principle, Councillors unanimously endorsed the Strategic Direction which will now be presented to the full Council meeting on 22 July 2026 for adoption.
You can find the updated strategic Direction on page 21 of the Committee Meeting agenda. Note that the above change isn’t on this document.
Other discussions
Committee members received an overview of current and upcoming Central Government proposals and Canterbury Regional Council’s submission process and, following discussion, agreed to support the Wairewa Rūnanga application to establish two mātaitai reserves at Banks Peninsula.
You can watch a recording of the meeting on our YouTube channel.