Agenda of Extraordinary Regional Council Meeting

Extraordinary Meeting of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council

Date: Wednesday 8 April 2020

Time: 10.00am

Venue:

Online using Zoom

Agenda

Item Subject Page

1. Welcome/Karakia /Apologies/Notices

2. Conflict of Interest Declarations

3. Confirmation of Minutes of the Extraordinary Regional Council Meeting held on 1 April 2020

Decision Items

4. Interim Process for Committee Recommendations to Council 3

5. Environmental Certificates of Appreciation 5

Information or Performance Monitoring

6. Chief Executive’s Verbal Update on the HBRC Operational Response to COVID-19

7. Verbal Covid-19 Situation Updates

8. Ospri NZ Verbal Update on HB Tb Management & Covid-19 Response (11.30am)

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Wednesday 08 April 2020

Subject: Interim Process for Committee Recommendations to Council

Reason for Report

1. This item seeks Council’s agreement to a process whereby decisions normally made by a Committee for recommendation to Council are, for the period during which delegations to Committees have been suspended, recommended by Council to the following meeting for confirmation to enable the opportunity for double-debate.

Officers’ Recommendation(s)

2. Council officers recommend that councillors agree to the process detailed following, for immediate effect.

Background /Discussion

3. This Council has traditionally had a double debate on decision items through the process of Committee consideration making a recommendation to Council. There have been occasions where the recommendation from a Committee has been changed following reflection; rarely but importantly. Therefore it is suggested that Council preserves this opportunity for double debate.

4. Given that Committee meetings have been suspended for the period until 22 April 2020 or such time as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, the following process is being proposed in order to preserve the ability for Council to reflect on and double debate decisions that would normally be considered at the Committee level.

Proposed Process

5. For decisions that would normally have been considered by a Committee and recommended to Council, the recommendations will be written with the inclusion of the words “subject to confirmation at the <date of next meeting> Regional Council meeting”. Any such items will then be included in a single decision item for the next Council meeting for confirmation.

6. It is not expected there will be a full review, nor a rehashing of the previous week’s debate. Rather this will simply be an opportunity should there be a rethink of the decision, for a Councillor to be able to make such a suggestion by way of moving an amending motion. This effectively means that the final decision remains a decision of Council, either amended or confirmed, and retains some balance in the decision making process.

7. A variation to the process is that if an immediate decision is required, the resolution will be written without the additional “subject to” and if carried unanimously takes immediate effect.

Decision Making Process

8. Council and its committees are required to make every decision in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements in relation to this item and have concluded:

8.1. The decision does not significantly alter the service provision or affect a strategic asset.

8.2. The use of the special consultative procedure is not prescribed by legislation.

8.3. The decision is not significant under the criteria contained in Council’s adopted Significance and Engagement Policy.

8.4. The persons affected by this decision are Hawke’s Bay Regional Council staff and councillors.

8.5. The decision is not inconsistent with an existing policy or plan.

8.6. As this is a procedural decision, Council can exercise its discretion and make a decision without consulting directly with the community or others having an interest in the decision.

Recommendations

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council:

1. Receives and considers the “Interim Process for Committee Recommendations to Council” staff report.

2. Agrees that because this is a procedural decision, Council can exercise its discretion and make a decision without consulting directly with the community or others having an interest in it.

3. Agrees that for Decisions that would normally be considered by a Committee for recommendation to Council, resolutions will be written in such a way as to require confirmation of decisions by the next Regional Council meeting.

4. Agrees that if Decisions that would normally be considered by a Committee for recommendation to Council require urgency, the unanimously carried resolution will take immediate effect and not be subject to the process of double debate.

Authored by:

Leeanne Hooper

Governance Lead

Approved by:

Joanne Lawrence

Group Manager Office of the Chief Executive and Chair

James Palmer

Chief Executive

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Wednesday 08 April 2020

Subject: Environmental Certificates of Appreciation

Reason for Report

1. This item seeks Council’s agreement to re-introduce the award of Environmental Certificates of Appreciation.

Officers’ Recommendation(s)

2. Council officers recommend that the awards are reintroduced with the same criteria as previously agreed, on an annual basis.

Background /Discussion

3. In April 2018, the Environment and Services Committee recommended that Council introduce a process of awarding certificates of appreciation to people, communities and organisations in the region carrying out exceptional environmental initiatives. Council supported the recommendation, resolving:

3.1. Creates three categories for nomination to recognise environmental stewardship, being:

3.1.1. Environmental Leadership in Business – Te Hautūtanga Taiao me te Pakihi: Recognises business or local authorities that demonstrate kaitiakitanga, innovation or efficiency, or an ongoing commitment to environmental best practice.

3.1.2. Environmental Leadership in Land Management – Te Hautūtanga Taiao me te Whakahaere Whenua: Recognises land users who are committed to environmental stewardship and sustainability in their meat, fibre, forestry or other land use operations.

3.1.3. Environmental Action in the Community – Te Oho Mauri Taiao ki te Hapori: Recognises no-for-profit organisations or individuals that are taking action to protect or enhance the environment, or are increasing understanding of environmental issues.

4. The process also agreed was:

4.1. Call for nominations at Environment & Services Committee meeting

4.2. Nominations made by councillors emailed to GM OCEC including ‘case’ for deserving recognition and how the nominee meets the criteria for the award

4.3. Nominations put to Council by way of Public Excluded decision item, for consideration and resolution of ‘winner’ in each category

4.4. Morning or afternoon tea ‘awards ceremony’ held.

5. To date, Council has awarded:

5.1. The Environmental Leadership in Land Management – Te Hautūtanga Taiao me te Whakahaere Whenua and Environmental Action in the Community – Te Oho Mauri Taiao ki te Hapori awards to James Hunter.

5.2. The Environmental Action in the Community – Te Oho Mauri Taiao ki te Hapori award to Forest and Bird, Hastings and Napier branches.

5.3. The Environmental Action in the Community – Te Oho Mauri Taiao ki te Hapori award to Karituwhenua Stream Landcare Group.

5.4. The Environmental Leadership in Land Management – Te Hautūtanga Taiao me te Whakahaere Whenua award to Jill Snelling.

Options

6. The options available to Council are to not reintroduce the awards, to re-introduce the awards in precisely the same way as previously, or to reintroduce awards with different criteria and/or frequency.

7. Although the awards were enthusiastically received by recipients, there were varying degrees of enthusiasm for councillors nominating recipients. It is for this reason that staff are recommending the move from calling for nominations twice each year, to annually.

Strategic Fit

8. Council officers believe the certificates of appreciate reinforce Council’s purpose of working with our community to protect and manage the region’s precious taonga and bring the value of partnership and collaboration into practice.

Significance and Engagement Policy Assessment

9. This sits at Level 1 on the continuum of significance, and is therefore an initiative that the community will receive one-way communication about, particularly through media releases of recipients’ names and photographs.

Climate Change Considerations

10. Not specifically related to Climate Change, however encourages environmental stewardship and enhancement in the community which will contribute to remediation of the effects of climate change.

Financial and Resource Implications

11. Staff understand that there will be no significant financial impacts as the awards are not extravagant and presentations are made at a single event.

Decision Making Process

12. Council and its committees are required to make every decision in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements in relation to this item and have concluded:

12.1. The decision does not significantly alter the service provision or affect a strategic asset.

12.2. The use of the special consultative procedure is not prescribed by legislation.

12.3. The decision is not significant under the criteria contained in Council’s adopted Significance and Engagement Policy.

12.4. The decision is not inconsistent with an existing policy or plan.

12.5. Given the nature and significance of the issue to be considered and decided, and also the persons likely to be affected by, or have an interest in the decisions made, Council can exercise its discretion and make a decision without consulting directly with the community or others having an interest in the decision.

Recommendations

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council:

1. Receives and considers the “Environmental Certificates of Appreciation” staff report.

2. Agrees that the decisions to be made are not significant under the criteria contained in Council’s adopted Significance and Engagement Policy, and that Council can exercise its discretion and make decisions on this issue without conferring directly with the community or persons likely to have an interest in the decision.

3. Subject to confirmation at the 15 April 2020 Council meeting, agrees to the reintroduction of Certificates of Appreciation being awarded annually, in the three categories of:

3.1. Environmental Leadership in Business – Te Hautūtanga Taiao me te Pakihi: Recognises business or local authorities that demonstrate kaitiakitanga, innovation or efficiency, or an ongoing commitment to environmental best practice.

3.2. Environmental Leadership in Land Management – Te Hautūtanga Taiao me te Whakahaere Whenua: Recognises land users who are committed to environmental stewardship and sustainability in their meat, fibre, forestry or other land use operations.

3.3. Environmental Action in the Community – Te Oho Mauri Taiao ki te Hapori: Recognises no-for-profit organisations or individuals that are taking action to protect or enhance the environment, or are increasing understanding of environmental issues.