Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum

Resolved

That the Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum:

1        Accepts the apologies from Miriam Taris – Chief Executive Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Mayor Trewavas – Taupō District Council, Mayor Webber – Western Bay of Plenty District Council (early Departure) and Mayor Chadwick - Rotorua Lakes Council (absence during the meeting) tendered at the meeting.

Campbell/Turner

CARRIED

3.1

Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum Minutes - 23 October 2020

Resolved

That the Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum:

1        Confirms the Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum Minutes - 23 October 2020 as a true and correct record.

Chadwick/Turner

CARRIED

4.1

EnviroHub Presentation: Waiariki Park Concept

Presentation - pdf Joy Moir - EnviroHub WPR Mayoral March 2021: Objective ID A3756859 

Tabled Document 1 - Tabled item - Envirohub Introduction by Mary Dillon - Mayoral Forum 12 March 2021: Objective ID A3758815   

Presented by: EnviroHub's Joy Moir, Waiariki Park Region Project Manager and Mary Dillon, EnviroHub Chair

Mary Dillon provided an introduction to the item and noted the apology from co-presenter Karla Akuhata, Māori Engagement Specialist. The introduction was followed by the main presentation, provided by Joy Moir.

Key Points:

·    Sustainable Backyards had been successfully delivered by Envirohub for a number of years

·    With more than 85% of the population living in towns and cities, there was a developing disconnect to nature and the natural environment

·    Waiariki Park Region was based on the London National Park City movement, seeking to make community behaviour change sustainable, resilient, co-creative and permanent

·    Would be seeking in-principle endorsement from each Territorial Authority, with the intention of today’s presentation being to raise awareness of the initiative

·    Planned to make submissions to the respective TAs’ LTPs for financial support

9.40 am – Chairman Leeder and Chief Executive Fiona McTavish entered the meeting.

·    The Park concept had been co-designed with Iwi, using Mātauranga Māori as driving principles

·    Key aspect was the collaborative, information-sharing approach

·    Sought to create a fundamental change in the way people connected with the natural environment

·    Goals were to:

o Enhance & cultivate nature & biodiversity

o Allow nature to fix us

o Champion regenerative, resilient & sustainable communities

o Educate & change ourselves

o Support & connect the region

·    Reiterated the wish for in-principle support for the Chairs/Mayors across the region.

Key Points - Members:

·    Recognised and supported the aspirational nature of the concept, but also acknowledged that any support from the individual TAs would have to be considered in context of capacity and prioritisations

·    Queried if this initiative could be a duplication of work being proposed and progressed through the Regional Council’s draft LTP [a response to this query to be provided post-meeting].

4.2

Presentation: Regional Approach to Climate Change

Presentation - pdf Dr Judy Lawrence - Climate Change Slides Local Councils - BOP: Objective ID A3756852 

Presentation - pdf Fiona McT - 2021-03-12 Mayoral Forum Climate Change update V2: Objective ID A3756853   

Dr Judy Lawrence and Sally Gardener, Climate Change Commission attended the meeting at 10.00 am via Zoom for this item.

Key Points:

·    Outlined the Climate Change Commission’s role, with the main focus being mitigation and adaption

·    The Commission had provided strategic direction for tackling climate change in four key areas:

o Level of the first three emissions budgets from 2022-2035

o Direction of policy for the Government’s Emission Reduction Plan

o Consistency of New Zealand’s first Nationally determined contributions (NDC) with staying below 1.5 degrees of warming

o Eventual reductions in biogenic methane which might be required

·    Main increase in carbon emission was from the transport sector and as a consequence, this field was a key focus area, e.g. electric vehicles, modeshift etc

·    The agricultural sector was under assessment for potential emissions reduction initiatives

·    Recognised the role of Local Government in delivering the emissions budgets through:

o Land use change/planning

o Waste management

o Transport and urban design

o Policy alignment with Central Government

·    Was seeking input and feedback from Local Government and other partners prior to making any final recommendations to Central Government

·    Noted the comments regarding road transport vs rail, and sought input on what initiatives/leverages would encourage a shift to more rail based focus

·    The Commission’s recommendations were intended to be transformational, rather than comfortable, while at the same time support the targets the Commission was required to achieve

·    Wanted to set a path that provided positive guidance for our communities and drove positive and meaningful change

·    Considered that the technical suggestions were feasible and that financial prioritisation would make them possible

·    Minimising negative financial impact, yet achieve the targets, was a priority

·    The consultation period had started on 1 February and would close on 28 March 2021.

Key Points - Members:

·    Recognised the focus of Waka Kotahi on road based transport and encouraged more rail based transport to be driven by Central Government

·    Community action should be a strong factor in climate change, i.e. there was a lack of understanding in the community with regards to what climate change actually was. Concerned it was mainly top down approach

·    Recognised that the profit requirement of Kiwi Rail drove a number of transport operators to use road based transportation options

·    Sought a wider government assessment of financial considerations that impacted on all transport based services, rather than a more ad-hoc individual approach

·    Smaller councils had seen a significant increase in waste management cost due to central government regulation changes, which was a great concern

·    Central government levies did not compensate for the increased costs

·    Technical and economic feasibility of what the Commission was suggesting would be the greatest

·    There needed to be understanding in the community in what the commissions/local government was trying to achieve, e.g. the majority of the community did not realise government was importing coal to generate electricity

·    A regional submission based on cross-council co-operation was being prepared and would be presented to each Council for consideration and approval. The individual TAs would also have the opportunity

10.43 am – the meeting adjourned and Mayor Webber withdrew from the meeting.

10.57 am – the meeting reconvened.

Fiona McTavish – Chief Executive Bay of Plenty Regional Council provided a presentation on the Climate Change Programme for Regional Council as part of its LTP 2021-2031.

Key Points:

·    BOPRC was currently in its LTP public consultation period and was actively seeking submissions and input into initiatives that would make a positive difference in the Climate Change space

·    A BOPRC staff member was part of the Ministry for the Environment Climate Change Working Party on behalf of the Bay of Plenty region

·    Hydrogen was currently being considered in addition to electricity as an alternative fuel source for of public transport vehicles

·    Recognised the importance of ensuring all TAs were well informed with regards to the region’s representation at Central Government level.

4.3

Presentation: Social Equity Issues Across the Region

Presentation - pdf Geoff Williams - Bay of Plenty TA's snapshot March 2021 V2 MJT: Objective ID A3755228   

Presented by: Geoff Williams - Chief Executive, Rotorua Lakes Council, Mayor Chadwick – Rotorua Lakes Council ad and Ezra Schuster – Ministry of Education (all via Zoom)

Key Points:

·    In summary, the data underlined the disparity of social conditions in the Bay of Plenty communities; pointed to the significant inequity in the outcomes for Māori and children; and highlighted the need to consider interventions and actions that reflected the unique communities

·    Although there were regional aspects of affordable/suitable housing, intervention needed to occur at a local level to be effective longer term

·    The lack of affordable/suitable housing and available jobs was of great concern to the region as a whole

·    An integrated solution was required for affordable housing, as temporary options such as motel accommodation, was not feasible for families long-term and created new and complex issues

·    The use of lower standard motels for emergency housing had created artificially increased property/business values, whilst higher end hotels/motels were struggling to continue operation.

Key Points - Members:

·    There was a significant lack of social housing in the Bay of Plenty, even in a national context

·    The challenges and disparity in Eastern Bay was well known, however as the issues in Rotorua had been less obvious, the data provided a much needed illustration of the seriousness of the situation

·    Learnings could be shared with governance agencies on the co-operation at a local/regional level, in particular in the multiple-owned Māori land/papakāinga housing space

·    Secondment from the Ministry of Social Development to work closely with the Eastern Bay agencies had been significant for Ōpōtiki and progress had been made with regards to “what/how/who” to make improvements in the social inequity space

·    Social housing built in close proximity to each other often created new challenges as many residents had multifaceted and complex issues and were not able to adapt to the required level of interaction with others.

5.1

Verbal Update by Whakatane District Council: Maori Wards

Presented by: Chief Executive Stephanie O'Sullivan – Whakatāne District Council

Key Points:

·    There was strong support in the community to introduce Māori Wards

·    The recently introduced legislative changes meant a Council decision to introduce Māori wards could no longer be challenged by an elector petition.

Commissioner Chair Anne Tolley – Tauranga City Council (TCC) advised that TCC would revisit its decision to introduce Māori Wards, as the petition calling for a public poll to challenge the previous Council’s decision was no long valid.

5.2

Verbal Update by Whakatane District Council: Programme of Presenters to the Bay of Plenty to provide updates on topics such as RMA reforms and waste management

Tabled Document 2 - Tabled Item - Mayor Turner - Mayoral Forum 12 March 2021: Objective ID A3760678   

Presented by: Mayor Judy Turner – Whakatāne District Council

Key Points:

·    Central Government direction was to seek interaction at a regional, rather than local, government level, which re-emphasized the importance of cross council co-operation

·    Would like to approach a number of region wide forums to identify what the main regional focus should be, e.g.

o RMA reforms

o Climate Change

o Housing emergency services

o Connectivity

o Urban Form and Design

o Land use changes

o Rail issue

o climate change impact on the business community

·    Noted that this item directly related to the next agenda item 6.1: Briefing for Incoming Ministers.

6.1

Briefing for Incoming Ministers

Tabled Document 3 – Final Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum Strategic Focus_Mar 2021: Objective ID A3760539   

Presented by: Fiona McTavish – Chief Executive Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Key Points:

·    Provided an outline of the report

·    Noted the importance of regional solutions to local issues, and the expectation by Central Government of cross-council co-operation within the region

·    Iwi leaders could be invited to Mayoral Forum meetings for a higher level of interaction.

Key Points - Members:

·    The priorities) aligned with the suggestions by Mayor Turner in the previous agenda item

·    Noted the three initial priority areas for collectively working together as set out in the report:

o Addressing social inequity with initial focus on homelessness, participation in education and access to mental health services for children

o Enabling homes for our growing population and people in need

o Developing and backing a locally led approach to creating a low carbon regional economy and ensuring the Bay of Plenty is adapting to a changing climate

·    Medium to long term thinking should be emphasised more strongly

·    Queried the lack of aquaculture identified in the document as it was an emerging industry in the Eastern Bay of Plenty

·    Homelessness was a hidden statistic in the Eastern Bay as whānau cared for whānau, which meant overcrowded living in often unsuitable conditions

·    Each sub-region faced unique challenges, and a ‘generalisation’ across the region was not possible

·    Recognised that each TA also had the opportunity to approach their local MPs directly

·    Central Government was providing direction to the regions through significant legislative changes with wide reaching impact, which set the scene for regional co-operation

·    Opportunities at a regional level should be emphasized, supported by data around differences and challenges

·    Central Government recognised the need for co-investment and funding at a local level

·    The need for review of the current funding model, i.e. the split between central/local governments, should be emphasized.

Items for Staff Follow Up:

·    Rename the document as “Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum Strategic Focus”

·    Include reference to aquaculture

·    Stronger medium/long term focus

·    More information regarding the significant differences between the various areas in affordable/suitable housing space

·    Growth challenges in Tauranga to be better reflected

·    More emphasis on the uniqueness of each-subregion, i.e. different stories to be told beneath the wider Bay of Plenty story

·    Emphasize differences, but focus on the interconnectedness and joint approach

·    The need for adequate Central Government funding for Local Government to be emphasized

o Expand ‘Challenges: Funding Pressures on the local authorities and communities’ to include future of local government, covering infrastructure and finance; funding and finance etc

·    Re-circulate the amended document to Members for their comments and feedback.

Resolved

That the Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum/Triennial Meeting:

1        Receives the report, Briefing for Incoming Ministers.

2        Notes the context for the Briefing and the Ways of Working.

3        Endorses the document as the “Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum Strategic Focus” with the noted amendments.

Tolley/Riesterer

CARRIED

6.2

Presentation: Local Government Commission - Codes of Conduct for Elected Members

Presented by: Local Government Commissioners Brendan Duffy and Janie Annear, supported by Chief Executive Penny Langley

Key Points:

·    Commissioner Brendan Duffy introduced the presenters and acknowledged the presence of Commissioner Chair Anne Tolley, who had originally appointed him to the LGC Commissioner role

·    Provided an outline of the development of the code of conduct for local government elected members

·    The purpose of today was to obtain feedback to shape the advice being provided to the Minister of Local Government on the scope and purpose of an appropriate code of conduct

·    Recognised that social media now played a significant role in code of conduct complaints

·    Recognised the significant differences between being a Councillor and a Mayor/Chair, and that tailored training was required for the roles.

Key Points - Members:

·    Reviewing and adopting an elected member code of conduct post-election  should be a legal requirement

·    There was merit in the concept of penalties for code of conduct breaches

·    Code of conduct complaints should be grouped in three categories: political; staff; public

·    Any updates of the Local Government Act 2002 with regards to codes of conduct should be considered in conjunction with updates of the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015

·    Concerned that there were limited restrictions on who could stand for election, i.e. ensuring candidates were of ‘good standing’

12.56 pm – Stephanie O’Sullivan withdrew from the meeting

·    Important that re-elected elected members were re-familiarised with code of conduct provisions following each election

·    There should be formalised processes/requirements in place for candidates to be briefed on the expectations and responsibilities of an elected member

·    The current lack of consequence/liability meant some elected members’ behaviour would not improve

·    External input into a conflict, e.g. through the Local Government Commission, could have some value

·    Recognised that there were much firmer rules for Members of Parliament with regards to consequences for unacceptable behaviour/breaches of code of conduct and standing orders

·    Queried if the ‘threat’ of loss of income would have much impact in smaller councils where the role was part-time only, rather than the main occupation

·    Considered appointing an independent Chair of Audit & Risk Committees to be imperative

·    Suggested that each council should own the responsibilities in a disciplinary process and that the Local Government Commission should only be called in for very serious cases

·    Appointing an independent complaints investigator at the start of the triennium when the governance structure was established, could have merit

·    The Institute of Directors’ ethics training was valuable for those assuming the Mayoral role

·    Recognised the challenges in availability of qualified training providers post-election, which meant some councils did not receive code of conduct/conflict of interest training until well into the first triennium

·    The LGA had clear provisions on how the Government could deal with a non-functional TA, and suggested that there could be opportunities for code of conducts to be aligned/included within the LGA for increased powers.

Commissioner Brendan Duffy thanked the Mayoral Forum members for their valuable comments and input into the review process.

Report To:

Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum

Meeting Date:

18 June 2021

Report Writer:

Jane Palmer, Senior Planner Climate Change

Report Authoriser:

Chris Ingle, General Manager, Integrated Catchments

Purpose:

Update on regional action on climate change