Minutes of a meeting of the Regional Planning Committee

 

Date:                                  12 February 2025

Time:                                  1.30pm

Venue:

Council Chamber

Hawke's Bay Regional Council

159 Dalton Street

NAPIER

 

Present:                             Cr H Ormsby (Chair)

K Brown – Hineuru Iwi Trust (online)

Cr Will Foley (online)

Cr X Harding

M Hazel – Hineuru Iwi Trust

Cr T Hokianga

T Hopmans (Co-chair) – Maungaharuru Tangitū Trust (online)

L Kele – Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Trust

N Kirikiri – Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana

Cr C Lambert

Cr J Mackintosh

M McIlroy – Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust (online)

M Mohi – Te Kotahitanga o Ngāti Tūwharetoa Trust

J Nelson-Smith – Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Trust (online)

Cr S Siers

T Thornton – Ngati Pahauwera Development Trust (online)

Cr M Williams

 

In Attendance:                   N Peet – Chief Executive

K Brunton – Group Manager Policy & Regulation

T Munro – Te Pou Whakarae

S Young – Group Manager Corporate Services

N Nicholson – Acting Manager Policy & Planning

R Hollyman – Governance Advisor

R Ellison (online from 1.45pm)

A Parkinson – Intermediate Policy Planner

B Harper – Acting Team Leader Policy & Planning

G Ide – Principal Advisor Strategic Planning

S Gudsell – Policy Planner

 

1.        Welcome/Karakia /Housekeeping/Apologies

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and Mike Mohi opened with a karakia. Mana Hazel, Hineuru Iwi Trust, opened the whakawhanaunga of the members present.

RPC1/25

Resolution

That the apologies for absence from Tania Eden and councillor Jerf van Beek be accepted.

Ormsby/Kele

CARRIED

 

2.        Conflict of interest declarations

There were no conflicts of interest declared.

 

3.        Confirmation of Minutes of the Regional Planning Committee meeting held on 18 September 2024

RPC2/25

Resolution

Minutes of the Regional Planning Committee meeting held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

Kirikiri/Ormsby

CARRIED

 

4.

Kotahi Engagement Framework

 

The Chair welcomed Katrina Brunton and Te Wairama Munro, who introduced Nichola Nicholson and Belinda Harper to speak to the item. Discussions included:

·  An overview of the updated engagement framework proposed, which incorporates findings of Hawke’s Bay Independent Flood Review (HBIFR), including timelines was presented seeking the committee’s approval to advance Kotahi plan preparation.

·  A lot of early engagement undertaken will contribute to the RMA process obligations.

·  Work on Kotahi began in 2022 with community drop-in sessions, focused inter-council collaboration with TLAs, online ‘social pinpoint’ consultation platforms and targeted workshops with RPC members.

·  Since a pause after Cyclone Gabrielle, further engagement reinforced previous themes and strengthened the importance of climate resilience and natural hazards management.

·  It’s now proposed that the Joint Taiao Operational Group (JTOG) and HBRC Policy Team work with the RPC through workshops to develop an informal (living) pre-notification draft of the plan from now through July which will then be used for engagement with mana whenua, PSGEs, TLAs, industry, stakeholders and the community through to February 2026 to enable notification of the draft RPC in mid-2026.

·  The role of the governors is not to ‘actually’ undertake engagement, but instead to have oversight of the engagement that will be carried out with the different groups within the community to enable their input.

·  The next 5-month period is a ‘tight’ timeframe however the work started in 2022 so is now being added to and built upon, not starting from scratch.

·  The Mohaka visions and values freshwater work will be incorporated in the draft RPS for notification.

·  Agreement was reached that, for the time being, the focus for engagement will be on natural hazards in response to the HB independent flood review recommendations while awaiting further MfE direction on RMA reform, particularly on freshwater management. Any ‘other’ feedback received during the engagement will not be lost, and will be documented and  incorporated into development of the pre-notification draft.

 

RPC3/25

Resolutions

That the Regional Planning Committee:

1.        Receives the Kotahi Regional Policy Statement Engagement Framework staff report.

2.        Agrees that the decisions to be made are not significant under the criteria contained in HBRC’s adopted Significance and Engagement Policy, and that the committee can exercise its discretion and make decisions on this issue without conferring directly with the community.

3.        Approves the Kotahi Regional Policy Statement Engagement Framework, to advance Kotahi plan preparation, which:

3.1          focuses solely on natural hazards and associated topics, for example climate change, in order to implement the recommendations from the Hawke’s Bay Independent Flood Review.

Harding/Hopmans

CARRIED

 

5.

Summary of feedback from Kotahi Regional Policy Statement workshops

 

Nichola Nicholson, Saul Gudsell, and Alex Parkinson presented a summary of the feedback from workshops held with the RPC late last year, which included:

·  The need for better integration with other strategic frameworks such as the Future Development Strategy (FDS) and the role of spatial planning.

·  Implementing rezoning policies that prioritise community health, safety and general needs.

·  Strengthening the regional council's directive role in biodiversity conservation across local and district councils.

·  Creating a hierarchy of needs to balance population growth, food production, and environmental sustainability, in line with te mana o te wai to ensure environmental protection is upheld.

·  Enhancing data availability and sharing to support evidence-based planning and decision-making which includes ways for local knowledge and data to be incorporated.

·  Implementing comprehensive water management strategies ki uta ki tai that address flow regulation, demand management, and catchment health

·  Planning for climate adaptation and mitigation, with a focus on developing policies that prioritise the health and safety of communities, especially in hazard-prone areas. Incentivising where possible the reduction of emissions, water use, enhancing biodiversity and sequestration.

·  Developing policies for natural hazard preparedness, including managed retreat and spatial planning to protect the most vulnerable communities. The disproportionate effects on Māori land was highlighted which tends to be more prone to hazards and dislocated from essential services.

·  Promoting policies that improve economic and social returns from natural resources while minimising environmental impacts. Incentivising positive environmental outcomes where possible.

RPC4/25

Resolution

That the Regional Planning Committee receives and notes the Summary of feedback from Kotahi Regional Policy Statement workshops staff report.

Kele/Williams

CARRIED

 

 

6.

February 2025 Policy Projects update

 

Nichola Nicholson introduced the item, which was taken as read, and spoke to the item alongside Gavin Ide and Katrina Brunton. Discussions noted:

·  Work on by-laws for the protection of flood protection infrastructure, including stopbanks, is under way which will require a very small change to the RRMP to align them.

·  The October 2025 deadline to notify maps of ‘highly productive land’ stands however staff are anticipating it will have to shift because clarity hasn’t been provided by the current government, or that the current maps will have to be used.

RPC5/25

Resolution

That the Regional Planning Committee receives and notes the February 2025 Policy Projects update.

Williams/Mohi

CARRIED

 

7.

February 2025 Statutory Advocacy and Resource Management reform update

 

Nichola Nicholson introduced the item, which was taken as read.

RPC6/25

Resolution

That the Regional Planning Committee receives and notes the February 2025 Statutory Advocacy and Resource Management reform update.

Kele/Ormsby

CARRIED

 

Mike Mohi advised that Cape Kidnappers Sanctuary is now Te Kowai o Māui (education trust), with representatives of Taupō, Waimarama, Matahiwi and Mihiroa, which will focus on education.

Mike Mohi offered a closing karakia.

Closure:

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 2.56pm on Wednesday 12 February 2025.

 

Signed as a true and correct record.

Date:  14 May 2025 by RPC resolution                         Chair:  Hinewai Ormsby