Minutes of Maori Committee

1. Welcome/Apologies/Notices

Chairman Mike Mohi welcomed everyone to the meeting.

KARAKIA – Haami Hilton

Resolution

MC23/15 That the apologies for absence from Mrs Joinella Maihi-Carroll, Cr Fenton Wilson, Mr Piri Prentice and Mr Bill Blake be accepted.

Paku/McRoberts

CARRIED

MC24/15 That Cr Barker’s notice of absence be accepted.

Mohi/Graham

CARRIED

2. Conflict of Interest Declarations

There were no conflict of interest declarations.

Short Term Replacements for 16 June 2015

MC25/15

Resolution

The Maori Committee agrees that Cr Scott be appointed as member/s of the Maori Committee of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for the meeting of Tuesday, 16 June 2015 as short term replacements(s) on the Committee for Cr Barker

Paku/McRoberts

CARRIED

4. Confirmation of Minutes of the Maori Committee Meeting Held on 21 April 2015

MC26/15

Resolution

Minutes of the Maori Committee meeting held on Tuesday, 21 April 2015, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

Mohi/Hilton

CARRIED

5. Matters Arising from Minutes of the Maori Committee Meeting Held on 21 April 2015

There were no matters arising from the minutes.

Follow-ups from Previous Maori Committee Meetings

MC27/15

Resolution

1. That the Maori Committee notes there are no “Follow-up Items from Previous Maori Committee Meetings” for consideration at today’s meeting.

Mohi/Hilton

CARRIED

Call for any Minor Items not on the Agenda

The following minor items are accepted for discussion as Agenda Item 14

1. Follow up from the two recent Hui between council staff and tangata whenua - M Apatu & Cr Graham

2. Iron Maori – Cr Graham

Verbal Introduction to David Tipoki - Maori Relationships Manager, Wairoa District Council

Chairman Mohi welcomed Mr David Tipoki to the meeting. Mr Tipoki has been employed as the Maori Relationships Manager at Wairoa District Council since September 2014.

Mr Tipoki gave the Maori Committee an insight to Wairoa’s long term plan and some of the particular issues affecting tangata whenua in Wairoa. He extended an invitation to members of the Maori Committee to attend the next meeting in of the Wairoa District Council Maori Committee in Mahia on Friday 10 July 2015 at Te Rakato Marae.

MC28/15

Resolution

1. That the Introduction to David Tipoki - Maori Relationships Manager, Wairoa District Council be received.

Mohi/Graham

CARRIED

Update on Current Issues by HBRC Interim Chief Executive

Interim Chief Executive Mrs Liz Lambert presented her update on current issues

In regards to amalgamation Mrs Lambert advised that this proposal will be going to a poll and encouraged everyone to vote. One issue of interest for the Maori Committee was the proposal to establish a Maori Advisory Board, this would be for one term and then reviewed by the new council.

LTP has concluded and submissions have been heard. This will hopefully be adopted at the next Council meeting.

Railway - Council had asked KiwiRail to extend the deadline for consideration as the business case hadn’t been completed. KiwiRail declined. HBRC has now been verbally advised that KiwiRail will be putting out a tender proposal in the next few weeks to run a rail service. The tender is apparently for the whole line from Napier to Gisborne.

Water bottling - Questions were raised as to whether concerns can be relayed to the Crown in regards to water bottling. To possibly achieve this, the Crown would have to look at changing the RMA to allow decisions based on the end use. An attempt was made back in 2006, but it was too hard however, there is no reason why this could not be advocated again.

It was suggested that parties could look through other avenues such as the Iwi Leaders’ Forum to lobby the government on the issues of concern for Maori.

MC29/15

Resolution

1. That the ‘June 2015 Update on Current Issues by the HBRC Interim Chief Executive’ report be received.

Paku/Maaka

CARRIED

10.

Heretaunga Plains Goundwater

Mr Iain Maxwell and Dr Stephen Swabey gave a presentation on Heretaunga Plains Groundwater. Dr Swabey detailed how groundwater underneath the Heretaunga is received in the system, moves through sediments and rock and is discharged from the system in a series of linked processes. Some land-use or water-use activities may affect the system. An understanding of the Heretaunga groundwater system was provided to help place these land-uses and water-uses in context.

Concerns were raised around the scientific pitfalls eg: size of aquifer, quantities of water sitting underneath the plains and the positioning of these water bottling plants, as well as emotional concerns eg: effect on the community and the people.

Mr Maxwell also noted that himself and Dr Swabey attended the hui held recently at Managaroa Marae and Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga. Mr Maxwell noted that those attending the hui were wanting to gain a much better view of the overall concerns and that it was important to keep the dialogue going, as the different levels of understanding are getting in the way and there was a need to get to the same level of understanding to make sure all the issues are considered.

MC30/15

Resolution

1. That the Maori Committee receives the “Heretaunga Plains Groundwater” report.

Puna/Maaka

CARRIED

11.

Kopuawhara Flood Event

Mr Mike Adye gave a verbal update on the flooding of the Kopuawhara stream near Mahia which occurred a few weeks ago. A lot of forestry slash had come down the river and had backed up for several hundred metres on the river. This had caused flooding in the local area. Immediately following this event the HBRC supplied 2 diggers as did the forestry company to get the clean up under way.

There had been significant rainfall at one point in a period of 2 hours and this probably contributed to the mobilization of the slash.

Ongoing conversations with the community and a hui at the marae in the near future is going to take place to hopefully resolve some of the issues.

MC31/15

Resolution

1. That the report be received.

Apatu/Paku

CARRIED

12.	Clifton to Tangoio Coastal Strategy Development
	Deferred to the next meeting in August 2015.

13.

June 2015 Statutory Advocacy Update

Mrs Esther-Amy Powell presented the statutory advocacy update and talked the committee through this.

Mrs Powell also updated the Committee on the Pataka Project which fulfils Council obligations under section 35A of the RMA.

While this is still in the testing phase HBRC is hoping that it will be available regionally by early August 2015.

MC32/15

Resolution

1. That the Maori Committee receives the June 2015 Statutory Advocacy Update report.

Graham/Paku

CARRIED

14.

Minor Items not on the Agenda

Item

Topic

Councillor/Committee Member / Staff

Mr Apatu & Cr Graham attended the hui held recently at Managaroa Marae and Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga. Mr Apatu acknowledged the attendance of councillors and HBRC staff that made the effort to attend these meetings.

From a face to face perspective the two hui have been useful and showed lots of goodwill from both sides. There was a high level of openness and honesty. It also highlighted lack of understanding of the information out there and the frustration was evident at both hui.

The general feeling was that the hui are helping both sides get a much better view of concerns, thus showing how important it is to keep the dialogue going. The different levels of understanding are getting in the way and everyone needs to get to the same level of understanding.

M Apatu & Cr Graham

Iron Maori – Cr Graham understood that HBRC were funding the Air NZ Marathon however, Mrs Lambert confirmed that this is not the case; Tourism HB is helping to fund this on behalf of several organisations that they represent.

It was discussed and the general feeling is that the Maori Committee would like the HBRC to assist with funding the Iron Maori in some way.

Cr Graham

KARAKIA – Fred McRoberts

Closure:

There being no further business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 1.09pm on Tuesday 16 June 2015.

Signed as a true and correct record.

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