Notes of a Regional Council Workshop

 

Date:                                    29 January 2025

Time:                                    12.15pm

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 N Kirton

Cr C Lambert

Cr J Mackintosh

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

R Wakelin – Acting Group Manager Integrated Catchment Management

V Fauth – Manager Finance

D Cull – Strategy & Governance Manager

M Sharpe – Senior Corporate Planner

C Comber – Chief Financial Officer

L Hooper – Team Leader Governance

 

 

 

3.

2025-2026 Annual Plan

 

Desiree Cull and Chris Comber introduced the item. Presentation (attached) and discussions covered:

·  Need direction on loan repayments for Mangarau Streams, economic development/ REDA, and Biodiversity consultation topics.

·  For the Mangarau Stream NIWE project the local share is $2.485M which will be collected by HBRC through a targeted rate. Options are to rate over 3 years (project period) of the project’s life or 20 years. HBRC is required to consult on the time period. Staff view that 3 or 20 years justified but no actual justification for a 10 year period – so propose to only consult on 2 options.

·  3 years has a higher short-term impact for only the 3 years of the project. Rating over 20 years the increase is less but over the 20 years ‘intergenerational’ ratepayers will pay much more overall.

·  Commercial properties will bear the highest increases.

·  Must state what the overall average targeted rates impacts are – and this will be deliberately separated and explained.

·  Proposed and agreed that the preferred option for CD is 3 years.

·  Options for REDA – preferred option is to cut the funding, of 2 options to keep or cut.

·  Biodiversity – consult on retaining the funding (reversing the previous decision) or making cuts, and preferred option to retain the cuts.

 

Closure:

The workshop closed at 1.10pm on Wednesday, 29 January 2025.