Notes of Regional Council Workshop

 

Date:                                    Wednesday 18 December 2024

Time:                                    11.00am

Venue:

Council Chamber

Hawke's Bay Regional Council

159 Dalton Street

NAPIER

 

Present:                              Cr H Ormsby, Chair

Cr W Foley, Deputy Chair

Cr X Harding

Cr T Hokianga

T Hopmans, RPC Co-chair

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

T Munro – Te Pou Whakarae

S Young – Group Manager Corporate Services

K Brunton – Group Manager Policy & Regulation

C Dolley – Group Manager Asset Management

I Maxwell – Group Manager Integrated Catchment Management

I Macdonald – HB CDEM Group Controller / Manager

C Comber – Chief Financial Officer

D Cull – Strategy and Governance Manager

S Bell – Team Leader, Strategy and Performance

M Sharpe – Senior Corporate Planner

R Hollyman – Governance Advisor

 

 

1.         Welcome/Karakia

The Chair welcomed everyone to the workshop and Xan Harding opened with a karakia.

 

2.

2025-26 Annual Plan CD topics

 

Nic Peet introduced the item and Chris Comber, Desiree Cull, Sarah Bell and Mandy Shape highlighted:

·  A recap of cost savings and additional costs, including 20 roles currently held vacant and $4.5m in savings from a range of areas. $1.1m (out of $3m) of “low risk” carbon credits could be sold off, in discussions about this.

·  Currently 3x key consultation topics (potentially 4 including biodiversity) with options and a preferred option.

·  Rates calculator will be available.

·  Proposing to mirror HDC rating for Mangarau Stream flood resilience.

·  Economic development options proposed are to stop funding from 1 July 2025, reduce funding, or keep funding at the same level.

·  Policy and Plan changes will be brought back to council when further developed.

Councillors discussion included:

·  Adding a space for its vision “Visioning piece” on where the priority areas are.

·  HBRC staff will bring back the ‘front piece’ in January 2025. The front piece will cover all savings and the bigger picture context.

·  Councillors stressed it is important to capture and show HBRCs contribution to economic development through core business activities.

·  Biodiversity as a consultation topic. Iain Maxwell outlined the biodiversity budgets. He noted that we haven’t made massive reductions in biosecurity. Interest in taking a wider approach to the “book-end” and to include as a consultation topic.

·  It was noted that we cannot consult on everything, we need to set a high-bar for what is a genuine choice for community and give staff direction to cut costs. Only need to consult on your annual plan if you are making changes.

·  Suggested that there are clear comms to the community about using the rates calculator, so individuals know exactly how much their rates will increase.

·  Drop-in sessions suggested including making some publicly available in real-time (Facebook live) so people online can ask questions. Overall councillors felt that a light-touch approach to consultation was fit for purpose given big conversations to come later, e.g. reimagining rivers.

·  Reminder that councillors’ details are online, publicly available.

 

Closure:

The workshop closed at 12.45pm on Wednesday, 18 December 2024.