Planning council programme

Press, 7 March 1983, Page 4

Planning council programme

Parliamentary reporter The new Planning Council, appointed in August last year, has announced a series of issue-related work projects for its 1983-84 programme. Its general function is to monitor and report on trends, prospects, issues, and options over the social, economical and cultural development of New Zealand. It has eight tasks: • Comment to the Government on programmes for development. • Foster public understanding and discussion on issues related to development. • Assist and advise in the consultative planning process about that development.

• Foster discussion about those agencies (private and Government) concerned with planning that development. • Prepare reports on any matter affecting that de-

velopment. • Submit any report prepared by its Minister, Mr Birch, if it thinks fit. • Publish documents on planning topics which in its view merit wide consideration and public debate. • Consider, at its option, any matter which is referred by the Minister. The issue-related projects chosen for 1983-84 are agricultural strategy, employment, family support policy, Maori land use, Pacific seminar, planning within the Government, social planning delivered to the community, and technology. Six monitoring and framework programmes have been set up — economic monitoring group,. round tables, national sectoral programme, population monitoring group, regional liaison, and social monitoring.