Minutes of Regional Council Meeting - Wednesday, 23 February 2022

1. Welcome/Karakia/ Apologies/Notices

The Chair welcomed everyone and Councillor Craig Foss led the group in offering a karakia to open the meeting.

There were no apologies, nor notices.

The Chair advised that the meeting is being livestreamed and recorded, and emergency evacuation procedures.

2. Conflict of Interest Declarations

There were no conflicts of interest declared.

3. Confirmation of Minutes of the Regional Council Meeting Held on 26 January 2022

RC9/22

Resolution

Minutes of the Regional Council Meeting held on Wednesday, 26 January 2022, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

Taylor/Foley

CARRIED

Follow-ups from Previous Regional Council Meetings

The item was taken as read.

RC10/22

Resolution

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council receives and notes the “Follow-up Items from previous Regional Council Meetings”.

van Beek/Ormsby

CARRIED

Significant Organisational Activities Looking Forward Through March 2022

The item was taken as read. Queries and discussions traversed:

· Extension is a widely used term when engaging with farmers, and in particular when undertaking a practice change approach, and describes the passing on of information to put into practice; attendees attend extension events where they gather information on new practices and technology, and then act upon it

· The Regulatory team provided input into the Riverbend Road development EPA process, noting concerns and recommending mitigation measures for the application to proceed, which have been largely replicated in the consent document

· A project review of FUSE will be undertaken and reported to a future Corporate and Strategic Committee meeting

· Karamu Catchment Collective is made up of landowners in the catchment, supported by MPI funding and in collaboration with LandCare Trust. The Group is working to develop a catchment plan which will be complementary to the work of the Catchment Coordinator due to start in April. Potentially draws together rural and urban communities to work together to improve the water quality.

· Further information will be provided to councillors in relation to the riparian management training for staff

· Two contracts let for Upper Tukituki gravel extraction

· Mohaka plan change will be rolled into Kotahi and a progress report will be provided to the next RPC meeting

· Time for a water security programme update

· Ecosystem prioritisation sites information will be presented to the March Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee meeting

· Ephemeral wetlands are defined as ones that are not always wet

· Removal of willows from Pekapeka is on the work programme.

RC11/22

Resolution

That the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council receives and notes the “Significant Organisational Activities Looking Forward through March 2022” staff report.

van Beek/Lambert

CARRIED

Call for Minor Items not on the Agenda

Recommendation

That Council accepts the following “Minor Items Not on the Agenda” for discussion as Item 12.

Topic	Raised by
Fly dumping	Jerf van Beek
Ka ora te whenua	Michelle McIlroy

Affixing of the Common Seal

The Common Seal of the Council has been affixed to the following documents and signed by the Chairman or Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive or a Group Manager.

Seal No.

Date

Staff Warrants

1.1 R. Hogan

1.2 S. Anton

1.3 S. Wynands

1.4 M. Signal

1.5 S. Murphy

1.6 J. Blunden

1.7 S. Sykes

1.8 S. Moffitt

1.9 J. Zhao

1.10 J. Graham

1.11 J. Gale

1.12 I. Mikolic

1.13 C. White

1.14 K. Peacock

1.15 A. Clinton

(Delegations under Resource Management Act 1991 (s.34A(1) and 38(1); Biosecurity Act 1993 (s.103 and 105); Building Act 2004 (s.371B); Maritime Transport Act 1994 (s.33G(a); Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 (s.86-92) and Local Government Act 2002 (s.177))

4480

4481

4482

4483

4484

4485

4486

4487

4488

4489

4490

4491

4492

4493

4494

21 January 2022

RC12/22

Resolutions

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council:

1. 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.

2. Confirms the action to affix the Common Seal.

van Beek/Foley

CARRIED

Report from the 2 February 2022 Māori Committee Meeting

Michelle McIlroy introduced the item as Chair of the meeting and highlighted:

· Proposal for an independent taiao unit of experts to advise tangata whenua, similar to Mahaanui Kurataiao in Ōtautahi Christchurch, primarily on matauranga Māori and policy development, has been taken to Taiwhenua boards and hapu. Pieri Munro added that the information gathered two years ago in relation to the taiao unit has also been shared with tangata whenua representatives on the RPC and discussions have been initiated with MfE in relation to a framework to assist with development of the unit.

· Problems with plundering seafood in many areas, and Porangahau, and Mahia/Mahanga in particular.

RC13/22

Resolution

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council receives and notes the “Report from the 2 February 2022 Māori Committee Meeting”.

Taylor/Williams

CARRIED

Report from the 3 February 2022 Extraordinary Regional Transport Committee Meeting

Councillor Martin Williams introduced the item as Chair of the Committee, and highlighted:

· Sole topic for discussion was the Waka Kotahi decision to reduce the speed limit on a part of the Napier - Taupo road to 80km/hour

· All Committee advisory members opposed the speed reduction

· Waka Kotahi has offered a formal review of the decision, requested by the RTC to happen immediately, in 12 months time

· RTC now seeking legal advice about potential to have the decision overturned

· The Chair, on behalf of the Committee, has written to the Minister of Transport in relation to funding for this strategic corridor as well as opposition to the speed reduction decision made by Waka Kotahi

· In analysis to date, the causes of accidents were not factored in, Waka Kotahi purely assessed consequences of accidents in terms of speed through a computer model.

RC14/22

Resolution

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council receives and notes the “Report from the 3 February 2022 Extraordinary Regional Transport Committee meeting.”

Williams/Ormsby

CARRIED

10.

Report from the Regional Planning Committee

The item was taken as read.

RC15/22

Resolution

That the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council receives and notes the “Report from the Regional Planning Committee”.

Ormsby/Lambert

CARRIED

11.

Councillors' Reports from Meetings of Outside Bodies

Councillor Jerf van Beek advised that the Cycling Governance Group is undergoing change with the Regional Transport Committee set to consider the best governance model for the monitoring and accountability associated with the Cycling Strategy. Concerned that not enough being done in the active transport space to encourage people out of their cars, particularly in light of climate change. Needs an active group that brings together governors, engineers, transport system designers and policy staff to enact and enforce the Strategy.

It was noted that the Regional Transport Committee submitted to Waka Kotahi for funding for a business case for a cycling corridor to get bikes off the motorway but because the budget was over allocated the funding was declined.

RC16/22

Resolution

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council receives and notes the “Councillors' Reports from meetings of Outside Bodies”.

Ormsby/Lambert

CARRIED

12.

Discussion of Minor Items Not on the Agenda

Topic	Raised by
Fly dumping. Has witnessed dumping in Hastings on Council land and suggests that a Group of experts is hired to develop a strategy to address the actual issue(s) causing illegal dumping.	Jerf van Beek
Ka ora te whenua. PGF funded environmental project teaching rangatahi riparian fencing, planting and pest control in the Wairoa area achieving great things working on Māori owned land blocks. The hope is that rangatahi will go on from this to be planting and fencing contractors with ongoing employment.	Michelle McIlroy

13.

HBRC Internal Review – Coastal Hazards Strategy Implementation

Chris Dolley introduced the item, and outlined the process to date. Discussions covered:

· The paper today presents the results of the additional work requested by Council. The substantive decision making on the Memorandum of Transition and execution of the Strategy is scheduled for the 16 March Corporate and Strategic Committee for recommendation to the 30 March Regional Council meeting.

· Approximate operational staff resource requirements do not include specialist advice to be contracted to provide input to consenting processes for the physical interventions. Costs associated with asset delivery, including consenting, will be capitalised.

· The carbon footprint for implementing the pathways as currently proposed has been considered in terms of costs to offset emissions. The short-term (first action in proposed pathways) concept designs consider rough order costing for the operational and capital carbon emissions offsetting and are based on the price for New Zealand emission units of $85 per unit in February 2022.

· Coastal ecology workstream is high level preparatory work to inform risks and costs associated with future consenting work for delivery of the physical interventions.

· Rates impacts assume 100% general rate which will not be the case as it is proposed that changes to the Rating policies will be made whereby direct beneficiaries will pay a proportion of the costs associated with the mitigation interventions.

RC17/22

Resolution

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council receives and notes the “HBRC Internal Review – Coastal Hazards Strategy Implementation” staff report.

van Beek/Foley

CARRIED

Councillor Hinewai Ormsby led the group in offering a karakia to close the meeting.

Closure:

There being no further business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 2.48pm on Wednesday, 23 February 2022.

Signed as a true and correct record.

DATE: ................................................ CHAIR: ...............................................