Minutes of Maori Committee

1. WELCOME/APOLOGIES/NOTICES

Karakia - Haami Hilton

Chairman Mohi welcomed all present to the meeting and advised that items would be discussed out of order to accommodate staff and guest time restraints.

Resolution

MC13/12 That the apologies for absence from Dr Benita Wakefield, Mr Heitia Hiha, Mr Fred McRoberts, Mr Terry Wilson and Councillor Tim Gilbertson be accepted.

Hilton/Apatu

CARRIED

Mr Moule advised that Councillor McGregor would be joining the meeting late.

2. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATIONS

There were no conflict of interest declarations.

Short Term Replacements

MC14/12

Resolution

That the Maori Committee appoints Councillor Christine Scott, Mr Rangi Manuel and Mr Barry Wilson as members of the Maori Committee of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for the meeting of Tuesday, 26 June 2012 as short term replacements on the Committee for Councillor Gilbertson, Fred McRoberts and Jan Aspinall.

Hilton/Apatu

CARRIED

Verbal Update by CE

Mr Newman advised Council is close to the end of the feasibility project on the Ruataniwha Water Storage Project.

Mr Newman advised that the plan change for the Tukituki catchment is underway, with a key focus on sustainability of the river system. The plan change will look at the volume of water that can be sustainably taken from the river system and nutrient limits will be set out and monitored within the catchment.

Mr Newman mentioned he recently met with various stakeholder and project leadership groups to look at both the plan change and storage issues and what will happen at the end of the feasibility study.

Mr Newman advised the first large task of the Regional Planning Committee will be looking in to inserting the Regional Water Strategy that Ms Moffat and Mr Apatu helped to produce, into the Regional Policy statement. This will give the strategy statutory effect.

Mr Newman advised Council will be potentially working in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency at arm’s length to notify the plan change and to apply for resource consent for the Water Storage Project. By putting both processes through the Environmental Protection Agency they become a time bound process and a decision has to be made within nine months. The Environmental Protection Agency consent application process would be undertaken within the region and would be heard by a panel with an anticipated completion date of the end of 2013 at the latest. A member of the committee added it is essential to keep the tangata whenua engaged in this process also.

Mr Mohi informed the committee that Council has given funding to the Ohuia Trust. The trust will receive $100,000 spread over the next three years for the Ohuia Wetland Restoration Project. Mr Mohi asked Mr Newman to pass on his thanks to Council for this funding.

MC15/12

Resolution

1. That the report be received.

Mohi/Remmerswaal

CARRIED

Wairoa Affco Consent Appeal

Charlotte Drury gave an update on the progress of the Wairoa Affco Consent Appeal.

Mrs Drury advised that a consent order has been lodged with the Environment Court on 5 June, outlining a set of consent conditions which are still yet to be accepted. Mrs Drury advised once the conditions are accepted a new consent will be issued which Affco would have to abide by.

Mrs Drury advised various conditions of the new consent require Affco to undertake studies which will quantify the effect the discharge has on the river and also the effects of the nutrient concentrations.

Mrs Drury informed the committee that under the new conditions Affco will have to create a liaison group. On the liaison group there is to be representatives of the Wairoa Taiwhenua among other parties including the Department of Conservation. Affco will also be required to invite representatives from the Wairoa Taiwhenua when Council staff are checking Affco’s sampling practices.

Mrs Drury advised the Taiwhenua did not appeal the hearings panel so they have not been involved in all related discussions since the appeal has been lodged. However, none of the consent conditions of interest to the Taiwhenua have changed through this process.

MC16/12

Resolution

1. That the Maori Committee receives the report titled “Wairoa AFFCO consent appeal”.

Hilton/Hohipa

CARRIED

Mr Newman left the meeting at 10.40am

Councillor McGregor joined the meeting at 10.50 am

10.

Lower Tukituki River Catchment Cultural Values and Uses Report

Dale Moffatt and Marei Apatu gave a presentation of the lower Tukituki river cultural values and uses report, Ka Wai Ka Hua, on behalf of Heretaunga hapu.

Mr Apatu commented that the Impact Assessment report was commissioned by HBRC in response to the Ruataniwha Water Group including Heretaunga in a whole of catchment approach to the water storage project.

Ms Moffatt commented that there are a huge amount of cultural values in regard to river systems, this report incorporated the main ones that all other values stemmed from . Ms Moffatt said the report created reconnection between Heretaunga to the head waters of the Tukituki which held a lot whakapaka coming from the river itself, the water and mauri that it contains.

Ms Moffat added this report focuses looking ahead to the future by working in conjunction with Council to ensure the next generations get the same use out of the river as many ancestors before did.

Chairman Mohi congratulated Mr Apatu and Ms Moffatt on their efforts producing this report. Mr Apatu also acknowledged the input Dr Wakefield had contributed to this report.

Resolutions

1. That the Maori Committee receives the extracts from the lower Tukituki Cultural Values and Uses Report as provided in Attachment 1 and the lower Tukituki Cultural Values and Uses Report incorporating the Cultural Impact Assessment for the Ruataniwha Storage Project as prepared by Te Taiwhenua O Heretaunga.

2. That the Maori Committee acknowledges the presentation given by Marei Apatu and Dale Moffatt on behalf of the Te Taiwhenua O Heretaunga.

Paku/Hilton

CARRIED

Verbal Tukituki Catchment Update

Ms Codlin advised that she had planned to present an update on the Tukituki plan change.

However, after taking into consideration the points outlined beforehand during the cultural uses and values report presentation, Ms Codlin decided it would be more preferable to give the Tukituki plan change update at the next committee meeting in August.

Ms Codlin commented she would like to attempt to put a cultural perspective lens over the technical elements of her report as well as any other reporting of the Tukituki catchment.

MC18/12

Resolution

1. That the report be received.

Mohi/Apatu

CARRIED

11.

Afforestation

James Powrie, Council forestry planner gave a presentation on Afforestation.

Chairman Mohi alerted the committee as to why he had asked staff to produce a paper on Afforestaton for the Maori Committee.

Chairman Mohi commented that in the past there had been issues where pine forests had been harvested and often the runoff was left for a short period of time and as such went into the waterways. Chairman Mohi advised that often the cause of general erosion and runoff was due to farming land that was too steep for that use and also the original felling of native trees which has in turn caused slips and silt build up in creeks.

Mr Powrie advised that sometimes logs that are seen down the river mouth or on the beach can at times be a result of the forest harvesting faze but also in some cases can be a result of mid slope failures and erosion events caused by heavy rainfall and weather bombs.

In response to a question regarding what funding is available for famers with land considered too steep to farm, Mr Powrie commented that there is a programme called the Regional Forestry Programme outlined in the Long Term Plan. This programme has been subject to the review process and it is likely to be implemented given the presentation of an operational plan and a set of strategies around trading carbon.

Mr Powrie advised that the Council’s intention is to encourage forestry on the steep class six and seven land and to support farmers with funding through some investment mechanisms which are subject to being finalized but it is likely for Council to invest money at the forest establishment faze.

Mr Powrie advised Council would take ownership of the carbon grown for the first ten years then trade that carbon to recover the forestry investment costs. However, if the carbon prices are disappointing during the ten year period then there could be an option for Council to recover investment costs through the log trade at harvesting time.

Mr Powrie then added that if the carbon price is better than what is required from Council to recover its investment then there may be an agreement with the farmer to have a share in any upside to the carbon price for that period.

Councillor Scott commented that it is an incentive to try and bring about change of practice with farmers to learn the economic values of the return of their land as well as working towards a more sustainable use of that land in the future.

In response to a question Mr Powrie commented that due to Council putting it the scheme together around the carbon trading opportunity the trees that are most likely to be funded are Radiata Pine and Eucalypt species which are likely to grow faster.

Councillor Scott commented that the exact details about how this is scheme is going to operate have yet to be approved by Council so advised the committee to not get too far ahead, as this scheme is still yet to be finalised.

MC19/12

Resolution

1. That the Maori Committee receives this report.

Wilson/Paku

CARRIED

12.

Shingle Extraction

Gary Clode, Manager Engineering gave a presentation on Shingle Extraction

Mr Clode explained gravel is taken from rivers after floods which often cause sediment and gravel to settle in to small mounds within the riverbed. Gravel then needs to be extracted to help manage the river to maintain the capacity and confine it to a specific passage so people can still enjoy the river.

Mr Clode also explained there is a commercial need for the extracted gravel and that has to be managed as well as it is an important part of the economy of Hawke’s Bay and in New Zealand. Half a million cubic metres of gravel is extracted each year over the whole region.

Mr Clode advised that Council makes no income from gravel extraction and are not allowed to charge royalties. A management fee is charged to extractors by Council at 85 cents per cubic metre. The management fee is used for such things as research work on the gravel, maintaining river access and organising consents. At the end of the year once returns have been sent to Council, if there is any money left over it goes back to the contractors or extractors.

Mr Clode advised the Committee that the Council will be going to the Maori Land Court in August over access to the Ngatarawa block. Mr Clode commented there have been disagreements with the current owners in regard to royalties over gravel extraction and the general way it is managed.

MC20/12

Resolution

1. That the report be received.

Paku/McGregor

CARRIED

13.

Statutory Advocacy Update

Ms Bate updated the Committee on current proposals under Council’s statutory advocacy project and the Resource Management Act 1991.

MC21/12

Resolution

1. That the Maori Committee receives the report.

Apatu/Wilson

CARRIED

Maori Committee Appointments to other Council Committees

Due to the demise of the Environmental Management Committee and the Asset Management and Bio Security Committees and reconstituting the new Environmental Services Committee, the Maori Committee representatives on both the previous two committees now lapse. Two members need to be appointed from the Maori Committee to the Environmental Services Committee.

Mr Moule advised there is now also a need for a new Maori Committee representative to be appointed to the Corporate and Strategic Committee due to the resignation of Mrs Aspinal.

Mr Mohi nominated Mr Peter Paku and Dr Benita Wakefield to take seats on the Environmental Services Committee. Mrs Remmerswaal seconded this nomination.

Mr Mohi advised that a decision would be made at the next Maori Committee meeting in August about who would replace Mrs Aspinal on the Corporate and Strategic Committee.

MC22/12

Resolutions

1. That the Maori Committee defers the decision of a Maori Committee representative on the Corporate and Strategic Committee to replace Mrs Aspinall to the next meeting, scheduled 28 August 2012.

The Maori Committee recommends that Council:

2. Appoints Peter Paku and Benita Wakefield to represent the Maori Committee on the Environment and Services Committee.

Mohi/Remmerswaal

CARRIED

4. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF the Maori Committee held on 24 April 2012

Minutes of the Maori Committee held on Tuesday, 24 April 2012, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and accurate record.

Mohi/Paku

CARRIED

5. Matters Arising from Minutes of the Maori Committee MEETNG held on Tuesday 24 April 2012

There were no matters arising.

14.

General Business

Councillor Remmerswaal advised that recently the first Regional Planning Committee meeting was held and commented that she felt there should be more Maori representation around the table of the Regional Planning Committee particularly representation from Heretaunga and Tamatea. Members of the Maori Committee were asked if any progress has been made in regard to getting more representation at the Regional Planning Committee.

A member of the committee commented that over the next two years it is hoped that there will be more Maori representation on the Regional Planning Committee. However due to the fact that the some claims have still yet to be settled within the regions it is not in some claimant groups best interest to attend.

Closure:

There being no further business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 12.25pm on Wednesday, 26 June 2012.

Signed as a true and correct record.

DATE: ................................................ CHAIRMAN: ...............................................