Open Minutes
Commencing: Friday 10 November 2023, 1.02 pm
Venue: Mataatua Room, Bay of Plenty Regional Council Building, Level 1 , 5 Quay Street, Whakatane 3120
Chairperson: Cr Malcolm Campbell - Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana (BOPRC)
Deputy Chairperson: Mayor David Moore - Ōpōtiki District Council
In Attendance: Chairman Doug Leeder - BOPRC, Steph O’Sullivan – Chief Executive, Whakatāne District Council, Stace Lewer – Chief Executive, Ōpōtiki District Council, Hanno van der Merre – Group Manager, Operations and Services, Kawerau District Council, Namouta Poutasi – General Manager, Strategy and Science, Presenters – as listed in the minutes, Amanda Namana – Committee Advisor
Opening Karakia
Deputy Mayor Lesley Immink opened the hui with a karakia.
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That the Eastern Bay of Plenty Joint Committee: 1 Accepts the apologies from Cr Iles, Deputy Mayor Rangihika, Cr Nelson and Cr Nees tendered at the meeting. CARRIED |
2. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
Minutes to be Confirmed
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Eastern Bay of Plenty Joint Committee Minutes - 15 September 2023 |
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That the Eastern Bay of Plenty Joint Committee: 1 Confirms the Eastern Bay of Plenty Joint Committee Minutes - 15 September 2023 as a true and correct record, subject to the following amendments: · Item 5.1: Amend the recommendation to receive the correct report (administrative error) · Item 6.1: Add the desire reflected by members for a relationship to be established with the Toi EDA Trustees. CARRIED |
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Te Rāhui Herenga Waka Whakatāne - Update and Context Presentation: He Rāhui Herenga Waka Whakatāne - Whakatāne Boat Harbour Build: Objective ID A4539292 ⇨ Presented by: John Rae – Independent Board Chair, Te Rāhui Herenga Waka Whakatāne |
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· Provided background of the Joint Venture (Te Rāhui Herenga Waka Whakatāne), which had been established to progress the Whakatāne boat harbour build project and deliver outcomes for all parties · The origins of the project: o Long held need o Investment requirement o Funding opportunity o Application development o Expertise secured o Development potential o Feasibility undertaken o Application submitted · Work undertaken prior to the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) investment was critical, including considering the strategic need for a commercial boat harbour · The PGF application was a complex proposition involving the landowner, iwi/hapū, Whakatāne District Council and the Crown, requiring an amalgamation of interests to meet the differing aspirations · Outlined the anticipated benefits to the subregion and Māori economy · This was one of the few PGF projects that had its own establishment board · Explained the funding structure and its complex nature · Te Rāhui Herenga Waka was now its own legal entity, run by the board of directors · Highlighted the project progress to date. Key Points - Members: · Considered that this project complimented the Ōpōtiki Harbour Redevelopment Project. In Response to Questions: · Although there was some political uncertainty with the recent change of government, it was hoped that the project was still able to be funded to completion. |
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Extreme Boats Presented by: Glen Shaw - Managing Director, Extreme Boats |
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· Provided a brief background of the Extreme Boats business and the development of the new brand for Legacy Marine · There were three main sectors to the marine industry in New Zealand - trailer boats, (approximately four to nine and a half metres), ‘white boats’ - ten to approximately 25 metres, and super yachts · Although the boat building industry was dominated by fibreglass vessels, Extreme Boats built aluminium boats · There were approximately 120 employees at present, 40 which were on the Legacy Marine (larger boats) side of the business · Had been working with Ngāti Awa for approximately five years to develop an apprenticeship programme including in-house learning opportunities · Support in transporting the larger boats through Whakatāne was critical to continue this work and enable the business to grow · Currently part of the business operations was undertaking one-off commercial builds · The first international sale for Legacy Marine had just been completed. Key Points - Members: · Reiterated that the invitation to Kainga Ora should be extended as soon as possible to address the specific housing needs of the Eastern Bay – this was discussed at the previous meeting. In Response to Questions: · Housing for workers was a major concern for a growing business and many staff were travelling from other parts of the region. Extreme Boats provided housing for approximately 15 staff and had recently lost a staff member who was unable to find accommodation locally · There were significant costs involved in transporting each launch · Had not been approached by Waka Kotahi regarding the roundabout proposed for the Tauranga–Thornton intersection, however power lines were a more significant issue for transporting the vessels. |
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Three Waters Reform - Post Election Presentation: Water Services Reform: Objective ID A4539293 ⇨ Presented by: Vaughan Payne - Department of Internal Affairs. |
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· Responsible for setting up three entities for Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki · The challenge around infrastructure remained · Had been involved in the consenting of the Ōpōtiki Harbour Redevelopment and the mussel farm through Whakatōhea · Provided collective context (challenges and opportunities) including: o Increasing expectations o Demographic o Growth and Resilience o Workforce labour o New incoming government o Potential repeal of water services legislation (all or part) o Councils and Long Term Plans (LTP’s) · Improving systems to achieve better outcomes for communities · Outlined the meaning for Water Services Reform – what was in the ‘pause’ category and what was being continued · Looking at what did not align with incoming government · Supporting the Mayoral Forum in terms of what the region wanted and potential solutions · Mayors and Chief Executives across the region had been interviewed, and the secretariat for Te Mana o Te Wai in the wider area (Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki).
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Eastern Bay of Plenty - Jiangxi Relationship Presentation: Bay of Plenty Jiangxi Relationship: Objective ID A4539290 ⇨ Tabled Document 1 - Executive Summary - Jiangxi Relationship Strategy Document: Objective ID A4541223 ⇨ Tabled Document 2 - Bay of Plenty - Jiangxi Sister Province Relationship Strategy Document (Draft): Objective ID A4539291 ⇨ Presented by: Simon Appleton - Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Bridge Global. |
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· Provided an introduction to Jiangxi and history of the strategically chosen relationship with the Eastern Bay of Plenty · Outlined the role of local government in elections. Local diplomacy could be a significant supporter of regional economic growth as well as helping to promote tourism, international students in schools and facilitating businesses for exports · Outlined opportunities to update a post-Covid plan: o Trade (import and export) o Investment o Export education o Tourism o Volunteer o Exchange o Scholarship o Community exchange o Training o Events and Activities o ‘Hongi’ – a dedicated website for communicating with migrants and international audiences (available in ten languages) · Outlined the monitoring underway and considered that it needed to be improved · Highlighted the services offered by Eastern Bridge Education · Refer the draft Strategy and Executive Summary documents provided and distributed with the meeting minutes. Key Points – Members: · Expressed concern over reputational issues and past adverse experience with intellectual property. In Response to Questions: · The $250, 000 scholarship to bring Jiangxi students to the Eastern Bay was for a short term (two week ‘taster’) period and was a good opportunity for schools to promote themselves as a long term destination for international students · The $1.8M referred to University level qualifications and not all courses were offered in English · Whilst school capacity may be an issue, several local schools had been approached and many indicated willingness to be involved.
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Presentation: Toi EDA Brand Identity Development: Objective ID A4539289 ⇨ Presented by: Jamie Boynton and Reuben Woods – Managing Director, Woods Agency. |
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· The objective was a branded campaign which positioned the Eastern Bay of Plenty as a thriving, vibrant place to live, work and play · Key stakeholder groups had been engaged with and surveyed · Refer presentation for details of: o Brand proposition o Development of the name ‘Toi te ihi’ for the Eastern Bay of Plenty o Brand vision and values o Brand identity development o Design rationale o Proposed designs including Tohu, wordmark, logo, colour palette, brand patterns, photography mood, promotional opportunities and merchandise o Launch/ Ongoing campaign including video/ story-driven campaign, driving to a website, building name recognition. Targeting global businesses, small business owners, expats and jobseekers. Key Points – Members: · Supported the brand and campaign as a whole. Enjoyed the narrative and considered the subregion was captured well within the brand, found the campaign easy to identify with and relate to · Acknowledged the work of former Ōpōtiki Councillor Louis Rāpihana · The communications and public relations for this campaign would be critical to its success and would take time to develop · Raised an outstanding issue for tangata whenua and Kawerau District Council and would like to meet with Toi EDA trustees to resolve this as soon as possible, and move forward. In Response to Questions: · Four workshops had been held across Ōpōtiki, Kawerau and Whakatāne · Telling success stories of businesses in the region may attract new opportunities - there was also value in a potential jobseekers’ portal · Providing a voice for the Eastern Bay of Plenty and connecting communities.
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A karakia was provided by Deputy Mayor Lesley Immink.
3.41 pm – the meeting closed.
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