Open Minutes
Commencing: Tuesday 27 September 2022, 9.30 am
Venue: Council Chambers, Ground Floor, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga, and via Zoom (Audio Visual Meeting)
Chairperson: Cr Paula Thompson
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Stuart Crosby
Members: Chairman Doug Leeder
Cr Jane Nees
Cr Matemoana McDonald (via Zoom)
Cr Toi Kai Rākau Iti (via Zoom)
Cr Te Taru White (via Zoom)
Cr Kevin Winters
Cr Lyall Thurston (via Zoom)
Cr David Love
Cr Norm Bruning
Cr Stacey Rose (via Zoom)
Cr Andrew von Dadelszen
In Attendance: Namouta Poutasi - General Manager, Strategy and Science; Chris Ingle – General Manager, Integrated Catchments; Kataraina O’Brien - General Manager, Strategic Engagement; Reuben Fraser – General Manager, Regulatory Services; Julie Bevan - Policy and Planning Manager; Stephen Lamb – Environmental Strategy Manager; Nicola Green - Principal Advisor, Policy and Planning; Rachel Boyte – Legal Counsel; Karen Parcell – Team Leader Kaiwhakatinana; Jenny Teeuwen – Committee Advisor
Apologies: Cr Bill Clark for absence, Cr Lyall Thurston for lateness, Chairman Doug Leeder and Cr Andrew von Dadelszen for early departure (if meeting had not concluded by 11.00am)
Please note that the open session of the meeting was livestreamed and the recording is available on the Council YouTube channel via this link: (280) BOPRC - Strategy and Policy Meeting - 27 September 2022 - Zoom Recording - YouTube
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That the Strategy and Policy Committee: 1 Accepts the apologies from Cr Clark for absence, Cr Thurston for lateness, and from Chairman Leeder and Cr von Dadelszen for early departure (if meeting had not concluded by 11.00am), tendered at the meeting. CARRIED |
2. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
There were none.
Minutes to be Confirmed
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Strategy and Policy Committee Minutes - 18 August 2022 |
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That the Strategy and Policy Committee: 1 Confirms the Strategy and Policy Committee Minutes - 18 August 2022 as a true and correct record. CARRIED |
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Chairperson's Report Presented by: Namouta Poutasi – General Manager Strategy and Science Julie Bevan – Policy and Planning Manager Key Points · The Chairperson’s report covered the following topics: - Key highlights for the 2019-2022 triennium. - General updates for: o Government reforms and change proposals o Regional Policy Statement (RPS) proposed Change 5 - Kaituna River o RPS proposed Change 6 - National Policy Statement – Urban Development (NPS-UD) o Regional Sector briefing to incoming Chairs and Mayors (BIC). - Key focus areas for future consideration – climate change, partnerships with Māori, and community participation. 9.36 am - Cr Thurston entered the meeting. In Response to Questions · Staff were always looking at how to support reform and change and deliver new direction, not just within the organisation but also by working collaboratively with the regional sector. The release of the Natural Built and Environment Act (NBA) and the Strategic Planning Act (SPA) Bills would be a key opportunity to reflect on the forward work programme and bring advice back to Council in terms of what the next steps might look like. · Current information was that the development of the National Planning Framework (NPF) was likely to go to the Board of Enquiry in late 2023 and come into effect late 2024. In the meantime, Central Government had been very clear that any work on National Policy Statements (NPS) must carry on and deliver what was needed to be delivered through the current processes. Key Points - Members · The amount of work achieved over the triennium was acknowledged. · There continued to be concern around transport and Waka Kotahi’s ability to work with growing centres. · There was also concern about three significant pieces of legislation landing all at once – the second Water Services Bill, and the NBA and SPA Bills – expected around October/November 2022. The Future for Local Government Panel’s draft report would also be out for comment at around the same time. It would be important to find a mechanism to make sure that the elected members of the day had input as best they could. · Approval of Plan Change 10 – Lake Rotorua Nutrient Management, and the extension of the Rotorua Airshed boundary had been big achievements for Rotorua. Thanks were extended to staff for their work in this area. Chair’s comment · A lot of work had been undertaken during the triennium and progress achieved by the Strategy and Policy Committee. On behalf of all Councillors, the Chair Cr Thompson, paid tribute to, and acknowledged the input of staff into all the matters that had been considered over the triennium. It had been an across-organisational effort and staff were thanked for their professionalism and the standard of reporting. The Committee Champion, Namouta Poutasi – General Manager Strategy and Science, and support from Governance Services, in particular, Jenny Teeuwen - Committee Advisor, were also acknowledged.
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That the Strategy and Policy Committee: 1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report. CARRIED |
Regulatory Policy
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Essential Freshwater Policy Programme Update Presented by: Julie Bevan – Policy and Planning Manager Nicola Green – Principal Advisor, Policy and Planning Stephen Lamb – Environmental Strategy Manager Key Points · Pending changes to national regulations for freshwater included: - The Freshwater Farm Plan regulations cabinet paper had not yet been released. This had been expected around a month ago and it was now unlikely that the regulations would be gazetted in early 2023. - The indicative date for gazettal of the National Environment Standards for Sources of Human Drinking Water (NES-DW) was still late 2022, but draft material had not yet been received. - National Environment Standards for Freshwater (NESF) and National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) relating to wetlands had gone through a third round of consultation with the inclusion of coastal wetlands, and staff were now awaiting gazettal. · Update of risk schedule – the largest issues and those that could not be fully mitigated had been included. Actions had been set to try and address these issues through the work programme. · The work being undertaken by Pia Bennett, and reported to the Tauranga Moana Advisory Group, was to add to the understanding of wai Māori values in Tauranga Moana and across the rohe. The project had been struggling for resourcing. Another consultant had been engaged and would be working with Pai Bennett to restart the project. In Response to Questions · Staff were still waiting on the reviewed Overseer model and statements about how it should or could be used in plans. Staff were working through options relating to different types of rules to address high-risk contaminant loss activities, and were looking to have a suite of options for engagement for next year. · Staff had tried to engage with as many people as possible in the iwi/hapū/trust/landowner category, but not everyone that Council wanted to engage with, had been able to be engaged with. Capacity, capability and resourcing had been an issue. However, enough broad information was available to begin to write the plan. · There was slippage in multiple workstreams that were working towards the July 2024 deadline, but there would still be a good suite of working draft policy options for discussion and community engagement next year. Staff were still aiming for the July 2024 deadline. · There was a temporary regulation controlling intensification in the NESF that would expire in 2025, or when the Regional Plan was notified. This required consent and a demonstration that contaminant losses were not increasing when forestry was converted to pasture or anything dairy. The intention of the temporary regulation was to hold the line on contaminant losses but it did not address intensification within an existing land use. · There had not been a large number of conversions; some were to kiwifruit but not any to dairy as far as was known. Some enquiries about the regulation had been received by the Consents Team. · An update on issues with synthetic nitrogen reporting would be circulated to councillors. Key Points - Members · Māori councillors would be willing and happy to be involved to assist with the engagement with tangata whenua. It was important that engagement occurred leadership to leadership/governor to governor. Māori leadership would then communicate with iwi/hapū. The Te Wahapu o Waihi project was an example of where this type of engagement had worked well. · The level of communication able to be applied to meet the deadlines would not meet the expectations of the wider iwi/hapū groups and the wider community, especially the rural community. Staff Action · Circulate an update on issues with synthetic nitrogen reporting to councillors.
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That the Strategy and Policy Committee: 1 Receives the report, Essential Freshwater Policy Programme Update. CARRIED |
5. Public Excluded Section
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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:
CARRIED |
10.45 am – the meeting closed.
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Chairperson, Strategy and Policy Committee
Fiona McTavish
Chief Executive - Bay of Plenty Regional Council