Minutes of Maori Committee

1. WELCOME/APOLOGIES/NOTICES

KARAKIA - H Hilton

Chairman Mohi welcomed all present to the meeting including Councillor Alan Dick and Mr Des Ratima who would update the Committee on specific agenda items.

MC11/14 Apologies were received from Mrs Beverley Kemp Harmer, Messrs F McRoberts, R Manuel and M Paku

2. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATIONS

There were no conflicts of interest declared.

Short Term Replacements

MC12/14

Resolution:

That the Maori Committee agree:

That Councillor Scott be appointed as a member of the Maori Committee of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for the meeting of Tuesday, 29 April 2014 as a short term replacement on the Committee for Mr Fred McRoberts.

Prentice/Maihi Carroll

CARRIED

4. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF the Maori Committee held on 25 February 2014

MC13/14

Minutes of the Maori Committee held on Tuesday, 25 February 2014, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed.

Gregory/Mohi

CARRIED

5. Matters Arising from Minutes of the Maori Committee held on Tuesday 25 February 2014

There were no matters arising from the minutes.

Call for any Minor Items Not on the Agenda

MC14/14

Resolution:

That Maori Committee accepts the following minor items not on the agenda, for discussion as item 16.

1. Enviro schools – kura

2. Bridge Pa Update

Mohi/Apatu

CARRIED

Follow Ups from Previous Maori Committee Meetings

Mr Moule updated the Committee on the Follow Up items listed in the agenda item.

MC15/14

Resolution:

1. That the Maori Committee receives the report “Follow Ups Items from Previous Maori Committee Meetings”.

Mohi/Hilton

CARRIED

Update on Napier-Gisborne Rail - Verbal report

Councillor Dick gave the Committee background information on the history of the Napier – Gisborne rail line, noted that the line was part of the Palmerston North-Gisborne line and reported that the line was still considered a modern line and had a high level of engineering competency.

Councillor Dick then updated the Committee on the current situation regarding the Napier-Gisborne section of the line, outlined the process for the formation of the Napier Gisborne Rail Establishment Group (NGR) and the group’s proposal to establish and operate a rail freight service between Napier and Gisborne and the estimated costs for the funding of their proposal.

Councillor Dick advised that Council had included a proposed investment of $5m in the draft Annual Plan which was now out for public consultation.

The Committee discussed the current situation of the rail link and queried whether it would be possible for the line to be taken on by the private sector in order for it to reopen.

In response to a question, Councillor Dick confirmed that north of Nuhaka is part of the Port of Gisborne’s catchment and it was not the intention to compete for timber trade in that area. It was hoped that the rail would handle seasonal produce out of Gisborne, however, as Napier was an export port for most Gisborne seasonal produce.

MC16/14

Resolution:

1. That the report be received.

Graham/Gregory

CARRIED

Marae Water Issues - a verbal update by Mr Des Ratima

Mr Ratima gave a powerpoint presentation on Nga Marae o Heretaunga which highlighted ongoing issues such lack of secure potable water on marae, iwi/hapu management plan developments, the immense desire of the marae to take charge of solutions, the mechanisms developed to engage with Councils in the region and the need to keep the opportunities open for marae when investigating service plans.

Mr Ratima advised that with the Matatini national kapa haka championships being hosted in the region in 2017 and two major Maori festivals to be held in the years before that, it was paramount that all hosting marae had access to sufficient potable water.

The Committee discussed the proposed upgrading of marae services and facilities for the championships and also the possibility of marae being used for accommodation and services during a civil defence emergency.

The Committee noted that until the different water issues on each marae are known, there was uncertainty how to fix and plan for the future. Therefore it was imperative that ongoing dialogue take place in order to better understand what the needs are.

Mr Ratima indicated that part of the on-going dialogue was a meeting to be arranged shortly between his group, Chairman Fenton and Liz Lambert Chief Executive.

MC17/14

Resolution:

1. That the report be received.

Hilton/Graham

CARRIED

10.

Update on Current Issues by the Interim Chief Executive

Mrs Lambert and Chairman Wilson updated the Committee on the following current issues:

Draft Annual Plan

4 public meetings had been held with attendance numbers varying from area to area. Submissions close on 2 May.

Review of Regional Pest Management Plans

A working party had been established to work with 5 Councils to look at the time line and scope for the review of the regional pest management plans and to then complete the review process. Councillors Scott, Graham, Pipe, Wilson and Barker had been appointed to the working group.

Coastal Strategy

Council is in the process of setting up a joint committee to work on the coastal strategy which affects the areas between Clifton and Tangoio. This project would be a collaborative one once the Joint Committee had been established. It was envisaged that tangata whenua groups be invited to join the Committee also

Local Government Commission

Representatives of the Local Government Commission would be in Napier on Tuesday, 13 May to hear submissions on the proposed amalgamation. The representatives would also be visiting other venues in the region for hearing of submissions.

Long Term Plan (LTP)

With 6 new Councillors on board, it was hoped to commence discussions around the LTP in the near future. There was no doubt, discussions would deliver new ideas looking into the future 10 years.

Confirmation was received that the Regional Planning Committee would be participating in the consultation process of the LTP.

Future of Maori Committee

Noted that HBRC is one of the few councils in New Zealand which has a connection with tangata whenua through Council Committee structures and therefore it was important for the Maori members on Council Committees to be aware they were a valued member of the Committee they sat on and were able to contribute, challenge and vote on matters.

It was reinforced that the nominated members needed to attend the various committee meetings.

MC18/14

Resolution:

1. That the report be received.

Maihi Carroll/Prentice

CARRIED

11.

Future of Maori Committee

Mr Moule presented this agenda item which proposed some changes to the present arrangement of the Maori Committee in terms of its role and functions for consideration by the Committee. Council had determined that a review was due to take place by June 2014.

Mr Moule noted that over the years since the inception of the Maori Committee in 1990 that the ‘representative’ model for Maori had changed with only Wairoa still retaining a Maori Executive that provides a representative to the Committee. Another notable change was the establishment of the Regional Planning Committee which is a ‘partnership’ committee much more in line with the view of Maori and rangitiratanga. This Committee will be permanently established by legislative in the near future.

The Committee discussed the suggestions contained within the proposal and noted that currently the Maori Committee does have the unique opportunity to promote relevant tangata whenua take at the Council table. This was a significant difference between the RPC which operates under legislation and the Maori Committee and one that should not be underestimated.

The Committee also noted that since the inception of the Maori committee in 1990, many changes had occurred within the Maori structure and it was now important to shape the way forward into the future.

The Committee requested that a workshop be held prior to the next Committee meeting where ideas and alternatives could be discussed.

MC19/14

Resolutions:

That the Maori Committee receives:

1. The report on the future of the Maori Committee.

2. Resolves to discuss the proposal with the relevant entities that members represent and consider feedback at a workshop to be arranged prior to the June meeting of the Committee before making a final decision.

Mohi/Prentice

CARRIED

12.

HB District Health Board "Healthy Homes" presentation

Mr Heaney presented this agenda item which had been prepared following a request from the Committee.

Mr Heaney clarified that the report was not prepared by Hawke’s Bay District Health Board (DHB) although some information in it was provided by DHB. HBRC could not speak for the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board or that body’s Healthy Homes Programme.

Mr Heaney explained the complementary roles of DHB Healthy Homes Programme and the HBRC Heatsmart Programme. DHB and EECA subsidise insulation for low income and high health need applicants, subject to availability of funding. If all conditions are met, there is no requirement for those applicants to apply for HBRC funding. HBRC does offer insulation loans but unlike clean heat loans there are no subsidies. Mr Heaney apologised if the title of the report had been misleading.

The Committee discussed the report, noted the areas with the highest rates of hospitalisation for infectious and respiratory diseases and noted there appeared to be no direct correlation between admissions and PM10 exceedance dates. It was recognised that the drivers for hospital admissions were multiple and complex.

The Committee expressed concern that a members of the community living in the areas with high rates of hospital admissions do not own their own homes and therefore unless the landlord was prepared to improve insulation in the house they would continue to live in cold and damp housing.

Responding to a question, Mr Heaney agreed there was concern about meeting the 2016 PM10 emission level targets however if current uptake rates continue 2020 targets would be achieved. Mrs Lambert advised she would be meeting with other Regional Council CEs in the near future to discuss the possibility that the 2016 targets would not be met throughout the country.

Mrs Lambert offered additional information for new members of the Committee to understand the known health impacts of PM10.

MC20/14

Resolutions:

That the Maori Committee

1. Receives the report.

2. Requests that HBRC target landlords in those identified areas with the greatest need for both insulation and clean heat support

3. Requests that HBRC continues to work with Hawke’s Bay District Health Board to identify areas where the provision of its financial assistance will have the greatest impact on health status in terms of home heating and in reducing PM10 emissions.

Mohi/Gregory

CARRIED

Councillor Belford left the meeting at 12.20pm

Mr Hilton left the meeting at 12.20pm

13.

Science Reports - April 2014 Update

Dr Wilding gave a powerpoint presentation which outlined the topics and findings covered in the Karamu Characterisation report.

Dr Wilding advised that most water use in the area is from groundwater bores, rather than surfacewater, with an increase in groundwater use particularly in the 1980s.

Dr Wilding noted that there were high nutrients and the stream invertebrates indicated that the water quality was poor with a risk factor including limited riparian shade.

In response to a question, Dr Wilding advised that Council was undertaking more targeted studies to better establish what was causing the degradation of the system.

Dr Wilding also confirmed that during the drought last season the mainstem of the Raupare did not dry up, but expected any drying would probably first appear where the springs originate, such as the lower Karewarewa.

MC21/14

Resolution:

1. That the Maori Committee receives the “Karamu Characterisation” Report.

Maihi Carroll/Prentice

CARRIED

14.

Statutory Advocacy Update

Ms Bate updated the Committee on the Statutory Advocacy Report and the current status of activities listed in particular the Proposed Hastings District Plan. Ms Bate reported that 198 submissions had been received and Council had received an invitation to comment on further submissions.

MC22/14

Resolution:

1. That the Maori Committee receives the Statutory Advocacy Update report.

Mohi/Graham

CARRIED

15.

Minor Items Not on the Agenda

Item

Topic

Councillor/Committee member / Staff

Enviro Schools Kura

A request was made for a report on the number of kura kaupapa schools in the enviroschools project in HB and what is done to get more involved.

Mr S Haraki

Bridge Pa Update

Mr Clode updated the Committee on progress in the Bridge Pa/Mangaroa area and advised that a set of plans which he hoped to use as templates for future projects had been developed.

A Community Funding application through the Minister of Conservation was currently being prepared to assist with the ongoing project.

The Committee acknowledged Mr Clode’s ongoing efforts and commitment to this project.

Councillor Graham

KARAKIA – P PRENTICE

Closure:

There being no further business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 12.45pm on Tuesday, 29 April 2014.

Signed as a true and correct record.

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