4.1

Strategy and Policy Committee Minutes - 11 August 2020

Resolved

That the Strategy and Policy Committee:

1          Confirms the Strategy and Policy Committee Minutes - 11 August 2020 as a true and correct record.

Thompson/Rose

CARRIED

5.1

Operating Environment Report

Presented by: Namouta Poutasi – General Manager, Strategy and Policy; Stephen Lamb – Environmental Strategy Manager; Julie Bevan – Policy & Planning Manager; Andy Bruere – Lake Operations Manager

9:36am - Cr von Dadelszen entered the meeting.

Key Points - Staff:

·            Wording within the report in the case of Proposed Change 5 (Kaituna River) and the obligation to change the Regional Policy Statement (RPS) to recognise the vision, objectives and desired outcomes of the Kaituna River Document was clarified, and that the objectives did not need revisiting each time Regional Council proposed changes to the RPS.

·            Although Lake Rotorua was within its Trophic Level Index (TLI) target, there had been a recent algal bloom.  Alum dosing was ongoing, but at a reduced rate due to work underway to renew a storage tank.  Long term mitigation such as land use change was ongoing, however it would be decades for leaching to resolve due to long groundwater flow times and nutrients in lake bed sediments recycling.

Key Points - Members:

·            Notification of plans and ongoing engagement should be undertaken through numerous channels, including social media, online, newspapers, and other traditional methods.

Items for Staff Follow Up:

·            Report to Committee outlining Plan Change 14 and On-Site Effluent Treatment (OSET) funding replacement for Rotorua Lakes with a holistic overview.

·            Report to Committee outlining various incoming changes to be implemented by Council by December 2024 and how to meet the prescribed deadlines.

·            Undertake communication and engagement with Rotorua Lakes communities to advise of BOPRC actions underway to prevent future algal blooms and the delayed timelines for land use changes to take effect.

·            Provide Ngāi Tahu proceedings to members as soon as possible with any potential implications noted.

·            Provide to members forecasts of local population growth, particularly within the Western Bay of Plenty, accounting for land availability and productive soil including figures, diagrams, and caveats.

Resolved

That the Strategy and Policy Committee:

1          Receives the report, Operating Environment Report.

Thompson/Crosby

CARRIED

2          Requests staff provide a public excluded update of ongoing Treaty of Waitangi settlement negotiations as part of the Operating Environment Report, following consideration of the other agenda reports and presentations.

Thompson/Thurston

CARRIED

5.2

Essential Freshwater Policy Programme - Implementing the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020

Presentation: Essential freshwater policy programme: Objective ID A3665788 ⇨  

Presented by: Namouta Poutasi – General Manager, Strategy and Policy; Julie Bevan – Policy & Planning Manager; Anaru Vercoe – Strategic Engagement Manager; Stephanie Macdonald – Community Engagement Team Leader; Nassah Rolleston-Steed – Principal Advisor, Policy & Planning; Nicola Green – Principal Advisor, Policy & Planning

Key Points - Members:

·       Consider and incorporate lessons from previous processes.

·       Communication and engagement across numerous channels was key.

·       Programme work should commence immediately.

·       Communications and engagement needed to begin as soon as possible to enable the community and stakeholders to understand what was happening, and to have a chance to engage and provide feedback.

Key Points - Staff:

·       Essential Freshwater branding was aligned nationally for consistency.

·       RPS and the Regional Natural Resources Plan (RNRP) were interrelated, aligning the processes for development of both would ensure community engagement was interactive and robust.

·       Staff had given consideration to capability and capacity of iwi partners, stakeholders, and the community to be involved in engagement in the  proposed timelines.

·       Staff would continue work and start early communications to allow communities to understand the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NSPFM) implementation and enable involvement and engagement.

Items for Staff Follow Up:

·       Present to the Long Term Plan (LTP) workshop with greater detail on options for notification prior to December 2024, including consequential risks and resourcing requirements.

Resolved

That the Strategy and Policy Committee:

1          Receives the report, Essential Freshwater Policy Programme - Implementing the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020.

2          Requests the Chief Executive to provide a presentation for the Long Term Plan discussions (next week) on potential changes to the Policy Programme Plan and the Communications and Engagement Plan.

3          Confirms the decision has a medium level of significance as determined by the Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. Council has identified and assessed different options and considered community views as part of making the decision, in proportion to the level of significance.

4          Notes the Regional Natural Resources Plan will be amended (without using the Schedule 1 process) to:

(a)   insert NPSFM 2020 clauses 3.22(1) - Natural Inland Wetlands, 3.24(1) – Rivers and 3.26(1) -Fish Passage of the NPSFM 2020 (or words to the same effect); and

(b)  delete the word ‘secondary’ in both places it appears in RNRP policy DW P6 (Policy 43A).

Thompson/Leeder

CARRIED

5          Early and consistent communications with the community is imperative in the Communications and Engagement Plan.

Thurston/Rose

CARRIED

5.3

Giving effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management through the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement

Presented by: Namouta Poutasi – General Manager, Strategy and Policy; Julie Bevan – Policy & Planning Manager; Nassah Rolleston-Steed – Principal Advisor, Policy & Planning

Key Points:

·       The report proposed aligning the RPS and NPSFM processes to meet the December 2024 notification deadline in order to increase efficiencies whilst regulating pressure and resources.

·       Councillors could consider options through LTP discussions to increase resourcing in order to speed the process up.

·       Partners and the community must be included, and consideration given to their capacity and capability.

Resolved

That the Strategy and Policy Committee:

1          Receives the report, Giving effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management through the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement.

2          Subject to LTP discussions, agrees to aligning RPS changes to give effect to the NPSFM with the timing of changes to the RNRP no later than December 2024.

3          Notes scope for RPS changes to give effect to the NPSFM to be considered under the Freshwater Planning Process may be limited to provisions within the ‘Land and Freshwater’ domain only.

4          Endorses staff working closely and in partnership with tangata whenua in freshwater policy development consistent with Te Hononga principles.

Thompson/Rose

CARRIED

5.4

Adoption of Plan Change 13 (Air Quality)

Presented by: Karen Parcell – Team Leader Kaiwhakatinana

Key Points - Members:

·       Members thanked and applauded Karen for her efforts and support on Plan Change 13.

Resolved

That the Strategy and Policy Committee:

1          Receives the report, Adoption of Plan Change 13 (Air Quality).

2          Adopts all provisions of Proposed Plan Change 13 (Air Quality) to the Regional Natural Resources Plan that are beyond appeal and the consequential changes to the Regional Natural Resources Plan, to be effected by affixing the seal of the Regional Council, for reference to the Minister of Conservation for approval.

3          Delegates to the Group Manager Strategy and Science to make minor corrections to Proposed Plan Change 13 (Air Quality) to the Regional Natural Resources Plan that are beyond appeal and the consequential changes if required.

4          Delegates to the Chief Executive the authority to set the date to make Proposed Plan Change 13 (Air Quality) to the Regional Natural Resources Plan operative, once approval has been given by the Minister of Conservation.

White/Winters

CARRIED

5.5

Impact investment scheme for energy efficiency: an update

Presentation: Impact investment scheme for energy efficiency: Objective ID A3665789 ⇨  

Presented by: Stephen Lamb – Environmental Strategy Manager; Santiago Bermeo – Senior Planner; Sandra Barns – Economist

Key Points:

·       The proposals in the report focussed on financial return and the level of impact from investment.

Key Points - Members:

·       Most initiatives had consequential ongoing resourcing and maintenance.

·       A trial could provide clarity of impact.

·       Conceptually in favour of the scheme, however greater detail, evidence, and clarity was required.

·       Impacts across the four well beings should be considered within the scheme.

·       Administration costs should not be recovered.

·       Interests rates in the scheme needed to align with the current lending environment.

·       Must consider disparity of wealth and accessibility for low income households.

·       Should include consultation on the proposals within the Long Term Plan.

Key Points - Staff:

·       Insulation was the most cost effective initiative with positive outcomes across the four well beings.

Items for Staff Follow Up:

·       Include ongoing maintenance costs in the analysis of the proposals.

·       Provide members with projected electricity needs for New Zealand in the future.

Resolved

That the Strategy and Policy Committee:

1          Receives the report, Impact investment scheme for energy efficiency: an update.

2          Notes the proposed scheme will continue to be considered as part of the development of the Long Term Plan 2021-31, specifically in relation to the scale of investment.

3          Notes that the proposed scheme can be designed in way to make it more likely to be cost neutral or result in financial returns for Council in the long-term, however this may come at the expense of uptake (and associated social and environmental benefits).

4          Provides feedback to staff on the developing design of the scheme as set out in this report, particularly in relation to the importance to be placed on cost-neutrality/financial return relative to social and environmental impact.

Thurston/White

CARRIED

5.6

Bay of Connections and Toi Kai Rawa Update

Tabled Document 1 - Bay of Connections - Bay of Plenty Regional Recovery Framework - COVID-19 Regional Recovery October 2020: Objective ID A3668261 ⇨  

Presented by: Stephen Lamb – Environmental Strategy Manager

Key Points:

·       Council’s funding was mostly focussed on milestone delivery.

·       The scope of capital investment would be reported to the Committee once traction was gained.

Resolved

That the Strategy and Policy Committee:

1          Receives the report, Bay of Connections and Toi Kai Rawa Update.

Thompson/Iti

CARRIED

6.1

Taumata Arowai - Water Services Regulator Body

Presentation: Taumata Arowai - Bill Bayfield: Objective ID A3665787 ⇨  

Presented by: Bill Bayfield, Establishment Chief Executive for Taumata Arowai (Water Services Regulator) Establishment Unit

Key Points:

·            Taumata Arowai would be the new water services regulator, giving effect to Te Mana o Te Wai.

·            They would oversee affordable, reliable, and safe water services for all and empower the public with accessible data on water quality and regulatory results.

·            Expected progress on the appointment of a board and advisory group by March 2021.

·            The number of unregulated private water supplies was significantly underestimated.

·            Wastewater regulation was becoming a major concern and was expected to be raised in submissions.

·            Oversight of wastewater would only apply to reticulated services.

Key Points - Members:

·       Significant changes were on the way for local government over the next five years.

Resolved

That the Strategy and Policy Committee:

1          Receives the presentation, Taumata Arowai - Water Services Regulator Body.

Thompson/Rose

CARRIED

Resolved

Resolution to exclude the public

1        Excludes the public from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting as set out below:

The general subject of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:

Thompson/Thurston

CARRIED