Minutes of an Extraordinary Meeting of the Regional Council

 

Date:                                    19 July 2023

Time:                                    10.00am

Venue:

Council Chamber

Hawke's Bay Regional Council

159 Dalton Street

NAPIER

 

Present:                              Cr H Ormsby, Chair

Cr W Foley, Deputy Chair (online)

Cr X Harding

Cr T Hokianga

Cr N Kirton

Cr C Lambert

Cr J Mackintosh

M Paku, Māori Committee Co-chair

Cr D Roadley

Cr S Siers

Cr J van Beek

Cr M Williams

 

In Attendance:                 N Peet – Chief Executive

P Munro – Te Pou Whakarae

S Young – Executive Officer Recovery

K Brunton – Group Manager Policy and Regulation

C Dolley – Group Manager Asset Management

I Maxwell – Group Manager Integrated Catchment Management

L Hooper – Team Leader Governance

A Siddles – Acting Group Manager Corporate Services

M Johansson – Director Communications and Engagement

V Fauth – Finance Manager

D Cull – Strategy and Governance Manager

S Bell – Team Leader Strategy and Performance  

M Sharpe – Strategy & Corporate Planner

 

 

1.         Welcome/Karakia/Apologies/Notices

The Chair welcomed everyone and Councillor Charles Lambert led the offering of a karakia to open the meeting.

Resolution

RC36/23     That the apologies for lateness from Councillor Thompson Hokianga and for absence from Tania Hopmans be accepted.

Ormsby/van Beek

CARRIED

2.         Conflict of Interest Declarations

There were no conflicts of interest declared.

 

3.         Confirmation of Minutes of the Regional Council meeting held on 28 June 2023

RC37/23

Resolution

Minutes of the Regional Council meeting held on Wednesday, 28 June 2023, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

van Beek/Williams

CARRIED

 

4.

Annual Plan 2023-2024 feedback received from engagement

 

The item was taken as read, and those who took the time to submit feedback were thanked.

RC38/23

Resolutions

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council:

1.      Receives and considers the Annual Plan 2023-2024 feedback received from engagement staff report.

2.      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 as the subject of engagement carried out.

3.      Receives and considers the feedback submitted by members of the public on the Council’s Annual Plan 2023-2024 engagement document.

Ormsby/Roadley

CARRIED

 

5.

Regional Cyclone Recovery Charge

 

Desiree Cull introduced the item and the rationale for proposing the split of the Regional Cyclone Recovery Charge. Discussions covered:

·    Where a targeted rate would be applied and who would pay the most

·    Councillors need to review sample rates tables for the options to see what the change would mean in rates.

The item adjourned at 10.30am

 

7.

Local Government NZ Annual General Meeting - Voting on Remits

 

The item was taken as read. A timetable for the next LGNZ remit process will be shared with councillors to enable consideration of whether this Council wants to put any remits forward.

RC39/23

Resolutions

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council:

1.      Receives and considers the Local Government NZ Annual General Meeting - Voting on Remits staff report.

2.      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.

3.      Confirms that Councillor Thompson Hokianga will exercise Council’s votes on the remits as follows:

3.1.       Remit 01 – Allocation of risk and liability in the building sector – Abstain

3.2.       Remit 02 – Rates Rebate – Support

3.3.       Remit 03 – Roading/Transport Maintenance Funding – Support

3.4.       Remit 04 – Local election accessibility – Support

3.5.       Remit 05 – Ability for co-chairs at formal meetings – Support

3.6.       Remit 06 – Parking infringement penalties – Abstain

3.7.       Remit 07 – Rural and regional public transport – Support

3.8.       Remit 08 – Establishing resolution service – Support

3.9.       Remit 09 – Earthquake prone Buildings – Abstain

3.10.     Remit 10 – Kiwisaver contributions for elected members – Abstain

3.11.     Remit 11 – Audit NZ Fees – Support.

4.      Confirms that Councillor Thompson Hokianga, as presiding delegate, will vote on behalf of the Council on other matters arising at the Annual General Meeting.

van Beek/Williams

CARRIED

The meeting adjourned at 10.55am and reconvened at 11.10am

Councillor Thompson Hokianga joined the meeting at 11.10am

5.

Regional Cyclone Recovery Charge

 

Consideration of this item resumed at 11.10am and discussions covered:

·    Comparison tables show the flat $75 per property compared to what the variable targeted rate portion (in addition to the $55 fixed charge) would be, with the biggest increases being for properties where there are multiple separately used or inhabited part of a rating unit (SUIPs)

·    The view was expressed that the most fair is option 1 and that it best meets the purpose and intent of the funding which will be ring-fenced for recovery.

RC40/23

Resolutions

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council:

1.      Receives and considers the Regional Cyclone Recovery Charge staff report.

2.      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 these decisions as they were the subject of a public engagement process.

3.      Agrees to change the collection of the $5.6 million Regional Cyclone Recovery Charge to be split into two components made up of a fixed charge per separately used or inhabited part of a rating unit (SUIP) of $55, and the remaining $1.5 million allocated to all rating units based on equalised land value.

van Beek/Harding

Against: Foley, Kirton

CARRIED

 

6.

Deliberations on the Annual Plan 2023-2024

 

Mandy Sharpe introduced the item and provided an overview of the main themes of the feedback received from the community as detailed in the agenda item. Discussions covered:

·    Staff will communicate Council’s decisions with all those who submitted feedback

·    Desire for safe recreational spaces with access for multiple users including horse riders. HB Trails are mixed-ownership model with HBRC owning pathways on HBRC land.

·    $600k received for nature-based solutions through MBIE’s extreme weather event funding, to investigate potential solutions in catchments affected by the cyclone.

·    There are permanent HBRC staff based in Wairoa and making concerted efforts to work with Wairoa District Council and make themselves visible. Priority now on working on a flood protection solutions for Wairoa.

·    In relation to riparian planting, work is under way with Manaaki Whenua to understand what withstood the cyclone’s impacts best in order to plan catchment-based recovery planting solutions, e.g. species, location.

·    A review of the telemetry and flood warning systems is under way, including reinstatement with triple-redundancy and links to digital and analogue radio systems. Capital budgets being used for this currently and recovery funding has been applied for.

·    A review of the CDEM Group response to Cyclone Gabrielle has been initiated, and there will also be a national review – to improve future responses and ensure there’s a best practice ‘peacetime’ Emergency Response Plan for the region.

·    In response to a query, it was confirmed that Council is satisfied with the validity of the findings and report on the woody debris assessment undertaken in the aftermath of Cylcone Gabrielle. Research will be undertaken to put in place appropriate safeguards against future ‘debris movement’ of this nature.

·    Multi-year recovery programmes will come through the 2024 Long Term Plan process.

RC41/23

Resolutions

That Hawke’s Bay Regional Council:

1.      Receives and considers the Deliberations on the Annual Plan2023-2024 staff report in conjunction with the written submissions received and considered by Council.

2.      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 these decisions as they were the subject of public engagement carried out.

3.      Makes no changes to the proposed Annual Plan 2023-2024 as a result of submissions received.

4.      Directs staff to respond to submitters in line with the staff responses in this report, subject to any wording changes agreed on the day.

Kirton/Siers

CARRIED

Councillor Charles Lambert led the offering of a karakia to close the meeting.

Closure:

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 12.01pm on Wednesday, 19 July 2023.

Signed as a true and correct record.

Date: by HBRC resolution 26 July 2023                         Chair: Hinewai Ormsby