Minutes of Maori Committee - 13 February 2018

1. Welcome/Apologies/Notices

The meeting opened with a karakia from Mr Haami Hilton and a special welcome to two new members, Mr Hori Reti (representing Te Taiwhenua o Te Whanganui-a-Orotū as Proxy) and Ms Michelle Mcllroy (representing Ngati Kahungunu Executive -Wairoa).

Resolution

MC1/18 That apologies from Councillor Rex Graham for absence, and from Councillor Ric Barker and Mr James Palmer for lateness be accepted.

Sciascia/Hilton

CARRIED

2. Conflict of Interest Declarations

MC2/18 There were no conflict of interest declarations.

Hilton/Gregory

CARRIED

Short Term Replacements for 13 February 2018 Meeting

MC3/18

Resolution

The Māori Committee agrees that Hori Reti (proxy, Te Taiwhenua o Te Whanganui-a-Orotū) and Joella Brown (Proxy, Heretaunga Taiwhenua) be appointed as member/s of the Maori Committee of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for the meeting on Tuesday 13 February 2018 as short term replacements(s) for Mike Paku and Te Ata Te Tomo.

Hilton/Gregory

CARRIED

4. Confirmation of Minutes of the Maori Committee Meeting Held on 12 December 2017

MC4/18

Resolution

Minutes of the Maori Committee held on Tuesday, 12 December 2017, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

Sciascia/Apatu

CARRIED

Follow-ups from Previous Māori Committee Meetings

The committee was advised that a verbal update regarding the HBRC Long Term Plan 2018-28 would be provided by Mr Palmer later in the meeting.

Staff from the office of the Minister of Local Government, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, acknowledged receipt of the emailed letter from Mike Mohi, the Māori Committee Chair which outlined the takiwa regarding Māori seats and establishment of Māori wards/constituencies, the Committee’s current position and actions going forward. Also an given was an extended an invitation for the Minister to meet with the Committee at its meeting on Tuesday 10 April to further explore the Local Electoral (Equitable Process for Establishing Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill was introduced in Parliament by Ms Marama Davidson, MP in May 2017.

The Chair recognised the outstanding support between both the Regional Planning and Māori committees through the discussions on Māori representation, and also thanked Mike Paku and Peter Eden for their contributions.

MC5/18

Resolution

That the Māori Committee receives the “Follow-up Items from Previous Māori Committee Meetings” report.

Hilton/Gregory

CARRIED

Verbal Update on Current Issues by the HBRC Chief Executive

Mr Palmer provided an update on the highlights of the LTP and current issues including:

· Growing set of Maori and public expectations and requirements from central government and the community

· HBRC Executive Team finalising a consultation document for all staff on organisational restructure, which includes a new executive Tumuaki role. Funding for Tumuaki role provided in LTP. Consultation on restructure is with HBRC staff and community consultation on related funding requirements through the LTP consultation.

· Council wants to accelerate specific projects, particularly to scale up Land and Water with an increase of Land Management team divided into 3 sub-groups (e.g. Wairoa, Heretaunga and Tamatea or catchments) to get more done, more quickly.

· Stock exclusion from water ways will become a Regulatory requirement and proposing to consult on a subsidy of a 75% contribution from Council and 25% from Landowner for riparian planting for erosion control. LTP proposing $13m over the next 10 years to support the traditional Landcare scheme.

· More effort to be put into effective predator control using trapping methods which are more effective and efficient on a large scale. LTP proposes to introduce six more areas for predator control across the region. Also proposing to invest in Regional Biodiversity Trust to source funding from the philanthropic, Central Government and Corporate sectors to be part of the restoration of the region’s biodiversity

· $200,000 per year for Community partnership with particular emphasis on tangata whenua. Recognised that this needs to be community driven.

· Maori Committee members invited to provide feedback on Council’s LTP proposals. Each taiwhenua might develop a submission, or the Maori Committee Chair may choose to aggregate that feedback into a submission from the Committee. Submission period is 19 March to 23 April, and submissions will be heard by Council 22, 23 and 24 May.

· Commercial forestry – discussions with an NKII’s Asset holding company have commenced concerning a strategic partnership for commercial re-afforestation opportunities. Council will consult on investing up to $100m over the next 10 years through LTP. NZ commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a country may be partially achieved through planting trees.

· HBRC has been fortunate to bring Joella on board as part of the Staff support team for the TANK plan change process. Joella Brown who will help bring together all of the Mana whenua views and interests into the process to ensure that HBRC is formally building those into the Plan Change. The TANK plan change is scheduled for recommendation to the RPC on 1 August 2018.

· NES for Plantation Forestry takes effect 1 May and every forester in the region will require a resource consent prior to undertaking any harvesting operation.

· Expecting some change to fresh water management from Central Government. Very focussed on more regulation and control around sediment - big issues for sheep and beef hill country and forestry sectors.

· Water reform - Minister wants regional councils to take a tougher stance on compliance and enforcement of resource consents, and proposing to set up a Crown prosecution facility in Central Government or Environmental Protection Authority to step in and prosecute if councils don’t, and then send the bill for that prosecution to the relevant council.

Recommendation

That the Māori Committee receives the verbal “Update on Current Issues by the HBRC Chief Executive”.

7.	Focus - Te Taiwhenua O Heretaunga
	Was discussed as part of the Kia Koi- Kia Ukauka- Kia Tatau – Smart Preservation For Us All! workshop (item 10).

Confirmation of Tangata Whenua Representatives on the Maori Committee

Discussions traversed:

· The roles and responsibilities of the Māori Committee and Regional Planning Committee as being different and focussed on different parts of the council’s business and the different types or levels of Māori community input sought or required

· Appointed members providing representation on council’s Environment & Services and Corporate & Strategic committees – one each from Māori and Planning committees and two each on the Hearings Committee

· Members’ role in liaising with the community/ taiwhenua they represent to provide two way discussions and feedback

MC6/18

Resolution

1. That the Māori Committee receives and notes the “Confirmation of Tangata Whenua Representatives on the Maori Committee” report.

2. That the Māori Committee accepts the appointments of Tangata Whenua representatives, being:

2.1. Ms Michelle McIlroy representing Wairoa Taiwhenua and Kahungunu Executive, and Ms Teresa Smith as proxy member

2.2. Mr Api Robin, Ms Ata Te Tomo and Peter Eden representing Te Whanganui A Orotū Taiwhenua and Hōri Reti as proxy member

The Māori Committee recommends that Council:

3. 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 and persons likely to be affected by or to have an interest in the decision.

4. Confirms the appointments detailed in 2. above, to the Māori Committee.

Apatu/Hilton

CARRIED

Regional Pest Management Plan Review Update

The item was taken as read, with additional discussions traversing:

· the proposed RPMP sets the scene for how Council spends about 80% of its Pest Management/Biosecurity budget over a 10 year period, and is the result of changes Nationally and within the region over the last 5 years, including Biosecurity Act changes.

· The proposed RPMP opened for public consultation last week, with one of the key changes being to the possum control program – to reduce possum catch rate (RTC) from 5% to 4% with the intention to achieve 0%. Best results with reducing numbers is by trapping wherever possible.

· Work developing the revised RPMP has been collaborative with a range of Councils, using the same template.

· Council did not use 1080 for predator control on farmland where the majority of council’s work is. However, 1990s has been used as a last resort only on the very steep land with the consent of the land owner. Trapping is by far the most common and best tool for farmland control programmes.

· New modern technology, wireless monitoring traps via cell-phone or iPad, allows the automatic re-setting of up to 1,000 traps per day. Such changes in technology are not just to how pest control is one but also involve less poison use in line with societal trends and expectations.

· Concern expressed in relation to employment opportunities for workers (e.g. trapping) in the region – to create employment for the people of our region.

· Site specific (land owner) predator control is usually based on biodiversity values to develop a plan and the Council can support around 50% of the cost of that control. Council also subsidises pest control products through Farmlands and various stock firms.

· Training on pest control is required for people of the region, and training facilities to be advised.

· The Chairman reminded members that the last day to receive submissions on the RPMP is 16 March 2018.

MC7/18

Resolution

That the Māori Committee receives and notes the Regional Pest Management Plan Review Update staff report.

Sciascia/Blake

CARRIED

10.

Kia Koi- Kia Ukauka- Kia Tatau – Smart Preservation for Us All!

Hosted by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga – interactive exercise to consider the members’ accountability to this Committee as well as to their constituents and tai whenua.

Charles Ropiti, NCC and Hinewehi Mohi introduced Marama Howe as a Tauira Mahi -Cadet Intern for HB Tourism and having just commenced her role recently.

Recommendation

That the Maori Committee receives and considers the outcomes for action of the “Kia Koi- Kia Ukauka- Kia Tatau – Smart Preservation for us all!” presentation and workshop session.

Closure:

There being no further business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 1:03pm on Tuesday 13 February 2018.

Karakia whakamutunga by Haami Hilton

Signed as a true and correct record.

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