Minutes of Māori Committee - Wednesday, 5 March 2025

1. Welcome/Karakia /Apologies

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and Api Robin opened with a karakia acknowledging the passing of loved ones.

Resolution

MC1/25 That the apologies for absence from Marei Apatu, Roger Maaka, Peter Eden and Haami Hilton be accepted.

Kawana/Sciascia

CARRIED

2. Conflict of interest declarations

There were no conflicts of interest declared.

Alternate member appointments

MC2/25

Resolution

That Ana Te Whaiti be appointed as a member of the Māori Committee for the meeting of 5 March 2025 as a short term replacement on the Committee for Haami Hilton.

Smith/Kawana

CARRIED

Kirk Leonard and Stewart Whyte, who work with Marei Apatu, were welcomed as observers.

4. Confirmation of Minutes of the Māori Committee meeting held on 4 September 2024

MC3/25

Resolution

Minutes of the Māori Committee meeting held on Wednesday, 4 September 2024, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

Te Whaiti/Mita

CARRIED

Confirmation of Minutes of the Māori Committee meetings held on 4 September and 6 November 2024

MC4/25

Resolution

Minutes of the Māori Committee meeting held on Wednesday, 6 November 2024, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

Smith/Robin

CARRIED

Call for minor items not on the Agenda

Recommendations

That the Māori Committee accepts the following minor items not on the agenda for discussion as item 12.

Topic	Raised by
Upcoming referendum around Māori wards	Mike Paku

Reimagining flood Resilience for the Upper Tukituki and Heretaunga Plains flood schemes

Nic Peet introduced Simon Bendall and Louise McPhail who presented the item (presentation attached). Discussions included:

· There are 27 flood schemes across our region – Heretaunga Plains and Upper Tukituki are the major ones and the ‘subject’ of this project.

· Flood resilience work since Cyclone Gabrielle has included scheme reviews by Tonkin + Taylor, rapid rebuild (including retrofit of repaired stopbanks), Land categorisation, Hawke's Bay Independent Flood Review (HBIFR) and category 2 flood resilience projects.

· Priority actions in response to the 47 recommendations of the HBIFR report have been consolidated into projects responding to those.

· The North Island Weather Events (NIWE) Flood Resilience Programme via the Infrastructure Programme Management Office (IPMO) is delivering a portfolio of flood resilience projects including infrastructure upgrades such as stopbanks, pump stations and telemetry systems.

· Feedback from today in relation to pump station upgrades will be passed back to the engineering team.

· The Reimagining Flood Resilience project ties in with the scheme reviews and will be looking at the technical / engineering aspects from the Tonkin and Taylor report recommendations, feedback and reviews from communities, plus consider climate change – for the Heretaunga Plains and Upper Tukituki schemes only at this stage.

· The Mātauranga Māori work is being led by Te Kata Hawaikirangi and more information will be brought to a future Committee meeting.

Councillor Charles Lambert left the meeting at 11.50am and returned at 11.55am

· Mana whenua are looking for a way to be included in the design stage and the project is working with PSGE partners alongside the relevant TAs using a co-governance steering group to ensure relevant tangata whenua are engaged in the process, for example on focus groups.

MC5/25

Resolution

That the Māori Committee receives and notes the Reimagining flood Resilience for the Upper Tukituki and Heretaunga Plains flood schemes staff report and presentation.

Sciascia/Robin

CARRIED

Update on the joint climate action work programme

Nic Peet introduced Desiree Cull and Amberly Gibson, who spoke to the item and highlighted:

· The findings of the high level climate risk assessment, which brings together available data and information with expert analysis to provide a snapshot in time of Hawke’s Bay’s climate risks at regional and district-levels, will be presented at 31 March Climate Action Joint Committee meeting.

· The report will highlight risks, both direct and indirect risks from slow onset climatic changes (e.g. sea level rise, changing temperatures) and severe weather events, that require further attention, identify gaps in our knowledge base, and provide a foundation for further action.

· The Climate Change Commission is doing a ‘call for evidence’ at the moment, and the CAJC will be providing the HB Climate Risk Assessment report to them.

MC6/25

Resolution

That the Māori Committee receives and notes the Update on the joint climate action work programme staff report.

Smith/Kelly

CARRIED

February 2025 Statutory Advocacy and Resource Management reform update

Gavin Ide and Saul Gudsell spoke to the item, which was taken as read. Discussions included

· A lot of the changes happening in Wellington are not to our liking, however we have a duty to our region and HBRC will work closely with the Regional Planning Committee.

MC7/25

Resolution

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

Smith/Kelly

CARRIED

Development of HBRC’s Annual Plan 2025-26

Desiree Cull and Mandy Sharpe spoke to the item and discussions included:

· The focus of this Annual Plan is on recovery and resilience.

· Council staff have made about $5m worth of savings, including reducing overheads.

· Public consultation will run from 31 March to 2 May, with Council decisions on submissions at the end of May and adoption of the Annual Plan 25 June.

· Main features of consultation will be revisiting public transport and Upper Tukituki Scheme rates, changes to the Regional Public Transport Plan and a new targeted rate for the Havelock North (Mangarau) streams work which will impact a portion of Hastings ratepayers.

· The Mangarau Stream (NIWE) work is being carried out by HDC and the rates collected will be a ‘pass through’ to HDC to pay the 25% local share, with Central Government paying 75% as per the FOSAL agreement.

· Affordability on whanau is tough, mihi to working on getting the right balance.

· Pōrangahau is particularly concerning as this used to be a river, kai is eaten from the awa and there is concern about its management. The decision (as part of the 2024 Long Term Plan consultation, was to spread the cost and not target Pōrangahau as it would be unaffordable for that community.

MC8/25

Resolution

That the Māori Committee receives and notes the Development to HBRC’s Annual Plan 2025-26 staff report.

Barber/Lambert

CARRIED

10.

HBRC Chair and CE's verbal updates on current issues

Hinewai Ormsby provided an update which included:

· Water security, specifically the Heretaunga storage project, will look at capturing at high flow and releasing at low flow. It’s estimated there will be a gap of 25 million cubic litres by 2030 based on the way we currently use water. It is important that the water storage conversations move to be more public now, at the start.

Katarina Kawana left at 1.45pm

· It was reiterated that it’s important people understand the importance of water storage for our future, regionally.

MC9/25

Resolution

That the Māori Committee receives and notes the HBRC Chair and CE's verbal updates on current issues.

Barber/Robin

CARRIED

11.

Take Ripoata ā Takiwā – Taiwhenua representatives' verbal updates

The Chair called for verbal updates, which covered:

· Paora Sciascia and Di Smith from Tamatea had already covered what they wanted to.

· Paul Kelly from Ngāti Kahungunu Executive o Te Wairoa advised they continue to offer medical and social services to iwi, and are actively searching for a new headquarters for their business operations. The people of Te Wairoa are in conflict with the spillway initiative.

· Charles Lambert from Wairoa supported Paora Sciascia in relation to the decision regarding the spillway – that the decision lies with the owner of the whenua. Wairoa has put an economic zone request in. Pan Pac has a large discharge pipe going out into the bay - a local community group meeting last week was of the view there are no issues.

· Henare Mita from Wairoa Taiwhenua gave an update that Katarina Kawana (also Wairoa) recommended that the wider Taiwhenua put in a proposal to NKII for assistance for concerned Mana Whenua in relation to the perceived advocacy of the spillway.

· Api Robin, Te Whanganui-a-Orotū, advised that Petane Whanau have chosen a new site for their marae near Petane Domain. Tangoio whanau had their big hui this month and they are also close to deciding on a mew site for their marae.

· Ana Te Whaiti, Heretaunga, acknowledged Stuart White for all his mahi. Also, Taiwhenua have been able to upskill with CDEM SIMS training. Also acknowledge Bayden Barber for the recent wananga at Waimarama Marae where tangata whenua learnt the history and relevance of different whakapapa lines and how they can cross-over over time.

· Stuart White shared, on behalf of Marei Apatu, that there will be a second round of SIMS training for their marae in collaboration with HDC. There were also recent discussions with public health about SIMS training for marae, specifically related to outbreaks, and this will take place in April. Heretaunga is also forming a relationship with the HBRC Transport team.

· Bayden Barber, NKII, said this has been a busy time with a submission on the Treaty Principles Bill as well as having to think about the Resource Management Act. They’ve been working with iwi chairs forum and Kiri Allan (project manager) and reinforced to Minister Mitchell, that Māori need to be involved in the Emergency Management Bill.

MC10/25

Resolution

That the Māori Committee receives and notes the Take ripoata ā takiwā – Taiwhenua representatives’ verbal updates.

Siers/Lambert

CARRIED

12.

Discussion of minor items not on the Agenda

Upcoming referendum around Māori wards

· Hinewai Ormsby stated HBRC unanimously supported Māori wards going forward, which will be our two Māori seats: Māui Ki Te Raki and Māui Ki Te Tonga seats.

· Desiree Cull advised there will be a poll question on the voting form.

· Comms staff are working collectively across the councils on the collateral that will go out for the elections.

· Te Kupenga, the Māori Partnerships Groups in Hawke’s Bay, will meet this Friday to discuss and prepare an approach and Te Wairama will send an update to Māori Committee after that meeting.

· It was noted that councils must remain neutral and cannot advocated for or against Māori wards.

· Bayden Barber met with Susan Freeman-Greene to make sure they have a plan / campaign to support Māori wards. To get Māori wards across the line in the poll Māori need more than half of votes of Pakeha.

· How do we communicate the necessity of having Māori representation at the table?

Mike Paku

Api Robin and Bayden Barber offered a closing Karakia

Closure:

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 2.20pm on Wednesday, 5 March 2025.

Signed as a true and correct record.

Date: ................................................ Chair: ...............................................