Minutes of Corporate and Strategic Committee - Wednesday, 19 February 2025

Minutes of a meeting of the Corporate and Strategic Committee

Date: 19 February 2025

Time: 9.00am

Venue:

Council Chamber

Hawke's Bay Regional Council

159 Dalton Street

NAPIER

Present: Cr X Harding – Chair

Cr J Mackintosh – Deputy Chair

P Eden – Māori Committee representative

Cr W Foley (online)

Cr T Hokianga (online)

L Kele – Regional Planning Committee representative

Cr N Kirton

Cr H Ormsby

Cr S Siers

Cr M Williams

In Attendance: N Peet – Chief Executive

S Young – Group Manager Corporate Services

T Munro – Te Pou Whakarae

C Dolley – Group Manager Asset Management

R Wakelin – Acting Group Manager Integrated Catchment Management

C Comber – Chief Financial Officer

L Hooper – Team Leader Governance

D Cull – Strategy & Governance Manager

P Bicknell – Senior Group Accountant

S Bell – Team Leader Strategy & Performance

T O’Shaughnessy – Treasury & Investments Accountant

Guests as noted

1. Welcome/Karakia /Apologies

The Chair welcomed everyone and Councillor Martin Williams led a karakia to open the meeting.

Resolution

CS1/25 That the apologies for absence from Councillors Charles Lambert, Di Roadley and Jerf van Beek be accepted.

Ormsby/Mackintosh

CARRIED

2. Conflict of interest declarations

There were no conflicts of interest declared.

3. Confirmation of Minutes of the Corporate and Strategic Committee meeting held on 13 November 2024

CS2/25

Resolution

Minutes of the Corporate and Strategic Committee held on Wednesday, 13 November 2024, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record as amended.

Siers/Mackintosh

CARRIED

Laura Kele arrived at 9.06am

4.	Public Forum
	There were no speakers.

Financial Report for FY24-25 to 31 December 2024

Chris Comber and Pam Bicknell spoke to the item, noting there were many small variances but nothing substantial. Queries and discussions covered:

· Capital variances mainly due to delays in flood mitigation work

· The budgets needed to be set before the flood asset revaluation was completed and it wasn’t prudent to make an allowance for an ‘estimated value’ due to potential impacts on rating.

· Operating surplus $10M behind forecast. Cost of holding the funds for NIWE (stand-by facility) up to March, when the first payment is expected, is interest of approximately $400k.

· Trade debt is everything other than rates.

· Having a paper on collections (trade debtors, rates etc) and developing a standard timetable for NIWE financial reporting.

Peter Eden arrived at 9.25am

· Rates penalties issued are consistent with previous years.

· Budgeted $1M for rates remissions and funds remaining will be used for remissions in the next financial year.

CS3/25

Resolution

That the Corporate and Strategic Committee receives and notes the Financial Report for FY24-25 to 31 December 2024 staff report.

Williams/Ormsby

CARRIED

Regional Economic Development Agency update

Nic Peet introduced the item and Lucy Laitinen. Queries and discussions covered:

· The budget that REDA is operating with is in accordance with the Letter of Expectations that expired in December and an updated budget will be set once the new Letter of Expectations has been received from Matariki.

· The $1M carried forward while REDA went through the set-up process has not yet been spent and will be used for the projects including The connection between productivity and Māori health outcomes (NZIER), Analysis of the economic value of SH2 (NZIER), FoodEast business case and a review of tourism in Hawke’s Bay.

· REDA does not carry out any work that is being done by any other agency or organisation.

· A presentation (attached) highlighted aspects of the ‘Understanding opportunities and challenges for the Hawke’s Bay Economy’ including a productivity challenge with a smaller proportion of working-age people in the population and available to work; industries with potential that could be more important future generators of value and jobs for the region include IT & digital, tourism, wool a& textile manufacturing and screen & creative; and cross-cutting challenges that impact a broad range of industries including skills & talent, transport & connectivity, energy & water and business & industry development.

CS4/25

Resolution

That the Corporate and Strategic Committee receives and notes the Regional Economic Development Agency update.

Williams/Mackintosh

Against: Kirton

CARRIED

HBRIC quarterly update

Dan Druzianic, HBRIC Chair, introduced the item, which was taken as read. Tom Skerman introduced the team of Sam Howard and Chris Di Leva from Harbour Asset Management, who delivered a presentation (attached) including an overview of Harbour and the managed funds portfolio.

CS5/25

Resolution

That the Corporate and Strategic Committee receives and notes the HBRIC quarterly update.

Mackintosh/Williams

CARRIED

The meeting adjourned at 11.06am and reconvened at 11.20am

Organisational Performance Report for the period 1 October - 31 December 2024

Sarah Bell introduced the item, reminding everyone that the report is a snapshot in time. Discussions and queries covered:

· The number and complexity of LGOIMAs has increased significantly which has contributed to the organisation’s ability to provide a full and final response including information within 20 working days. LGOMA requests and answers have previously been published on the website. The intention is to publish (without personal details) once resources allow.

· Drain maintenance work is noted as being ‘off track’ and will be the subject of future decisions of the Council where the budgets are insufficient to pay the costs for the maintenance required.

· There are some implications of staff reductions compromising the environmental information team’s ability to meet level of service measures, specifically timeliness and completeness of data sets.

· More information on CDEMs 10 year hazard research plan was requested. Although HBRC has a stake in this work the research plan is owned by the CDEM group.

CS6/25

Resolution

That the Corporate and Strategic Committee receives and notes the Organisational Performance Report for the period 1 October - 31 December 2024.

Williams/Siers

CARRIED

Peter Eden led the group in offering a karakia to close the meeting.

Closure:

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 11.40am on Wednesday 19 February 2025.

Signed as a true and correct record.

Date: confirmed by C & S resolution 21 May 2025 Chair: Xan Harding.

Attachment 1

Item 7 Regional Economic Development Agency update presentation