Under Separate Cover Agenda of Regional Council



Report To:	Regional Council
Meeting Date:	16 March 2023
Report Writer:	Namouta Poutasi, General Manager, Strategy & Science
Report Authoriser:	Fiona McTavish, Chief Executive
Purpose:

Monitoring & Responding to Central Government Reforms – Action Plans

Executive Summary

Bay of Plenty Regional Council is operating in a period of considerable change with the suite of central government reform that will affect us.

A CEO KPI requires staff to deliver action plans in response to central government reform initiatives by March 2023 (including RMA, Climate Change Adaptation Act and emissions).

Following on from the Strategy and Policy Workshop on ‘Legislative Reform’, staff have now updated Regional Council’s approach to monitoring and responding to Central Government Reform based on feedback received. We now see endorsement for the updated approach.

Recommendations

That the Regional Council:

1 Receives the report, Monitoring & Responding to Central Government Reforms – Action Plans.

2 Endorses the approach to monitoring and responding to central government reform – action plans

1. Introduction

Bay of Plenty Regional Council, along with the rest of local government, is operating in a period of considerable change. Council is facing a suite of central government reform which has a current impact or likely future impact on our community outcomes, role, structure, and local government in general. To ensure Council is responsive to the changing operating environment, staff undertake ongoing monitoring of the reform initiatives and identify any that are impacting or likely to impact Council’s community outcomes and future.

To meet a CEO KPI staff have updated our action plan approach to monitoring central government reform. Updates were based on feedback received at the Strategy and Policy Legislative Reform workshop held on 7^th March 2023.

1.1 Alignment with Strategic Framework

The Way We Work

We continually seek opportunities to innovate and improve.

While the approach in this paper is procedural in nature - Council will continue to engage, influence and participate as appropriate on all parts of the reform, to enable and improve community outcomes.

1.1.1 Community Well-beings Assessment

Dominant Well-Beings Affected

þ Environmental

þ Cultural

þ Social

þ Economic

The proposed reform suite is likely to affect all community well-beings.

2. Monitoring and Responding to Central Government Reform

The attached document Monitoring and Responding to Central Government Reform – Action Plans explains our updated approach to ensuring that Council stays connected and informed of the central government reform initiatives. Council’s position along with key actions being undertaken in response to the respective reform are outlined.

This work meets the Chief Executive Officers 2022/23 Key Performance Indicator - Delivery of action plans in response to central government reform initiatives by March 2023 (including RMA, Climate Change Adaptation Act and emissions).

3. Considerations

3.1 Risks and Mitigations

There are no known significant risks associated with this approach. Staff continue to stay connected and informed on central government reform through their day-to day roles, and various regional and national special interest groups and contacts. Elected members are kept informed via several means including reporting to Council (e.g., overarching Central Government Policy Programmes and Environmental Scanning).

3.2 Climate Change

The matters addressed in this report are of a procedural nature. Climate Change Reform is noted as one of the key areas of reform that we are monitoring and responding to in the attached document.

3.3 Implications for Māori

The matters addressed in this report are of a procedural nature. An underlying principle of all our reform actions is our commitment to enhancing delivery and shared decision making to improve equity and prosperity for Māori across the region.

3.4 Community Engagement

Engagement with the community is not required as the recommended approach relates to internal Council procedural matters. In some situations we will be able to engage on reform together with the community, while in other situations we will need to rely on what we know and understand.

3.5 Financial Implications

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications and this approach fits within the allocated budget.

4. Next Steps

Staff will monitor and respond to central government reform as outlined in the attached Action Plans.

Elected members will continue to be kept informed of the changing operating environment via reporting to Council’s Strategy and Policy Committee.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Final Monitoring and Responding to Central Government Reform Diagram ⇩