Open Minutes
Commencing: Wednesday 6 March 2024, 10.00am
Venue: Council Chambers, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga, and via Zoom (audio visual meeting)
Chairperson: Bruce Robertson (Independent Member)
Members: Cr Stuart Crosby (via Zoom)
Cr Ron Scott (via Zoom)
Cr Andrew von Dadelszen
Cr Te Taru White
Cr Kevin Winters
Chairman Doug Leeder (Ex Officio)
In Attendance: Councillors: Cr Matemoana McDonald (via Zoom), Cr Jane Nees, Cr Paula Thompson (via Zoom), Cr Lyall Thurston (via Zoom)
Staff: Fiona McTavish – Chief Executive; Mat Taylor – General Manager, Corporate; Kumaren Perumal – Chief Financial Officer; Nolene Naude – Financial Accounting Team Lead (via Zoom); Steven Slack – Risk & Assurance Manager; Monique Brooks - Legal and Commercial Manager; Jenny Teeuwen – Committee Advisor
External: Leon Pieterse and Warren Goslett - Audit New Zealand
As Chairperson Cr Stuart Crosby was unable to attend the meeting in person, the Deputy Chairperson Bruce Robertson, assumed the Chair for this meeting.
1. Chairperson’s Opening Statement
The Chairperson Bruce Robertson declared the meeting open and immediately adjourned the meeting.
10.02am – the meeting adjourned.
10.20am – the meeting reconvened.
When the meeting reconvened, the Chairperson reminded members and the public that the public section of the meeting was being livestreamed and recorded and that the recording would be available on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council YouTube channel following the meeting.
Recording link: Risk and Assurance Committee - 6 March 2024 (youtube.com)
2. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
Minutes to be Confirmed
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Risk and Assurance Committee Minutes - 7 December 2023 |
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That the Risk and Assurance Committee: 1 Confirms the Risk and Assurance Committee Minutes - 7 December 2023 as a true and correct record. CARRIED |
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Chairperson's Report Presented by: Mat Taylor – General Manager, Corporate |
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That the Risk and Assurance Committee: 1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report. CARRIED |
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External Audit Engagement Letter: Audit of the Consultation Document and 2024 - 2034 Long-Term Plan (LTP) Presented by: Kumaren Perumal – Chief Financial Officer Nolene Naude – Financial Accounting Team Leader (via Zoom) Leon Pieterse – Audit New Zealand Warren Goslett – Audit New Zealand In Response to Questions · Audit New Zealand advised that they were on track with the LTP audit.
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That the Risk and Assurance Committee: 1 Receives the report, External Audit Engagement Letter: Audit of the Consultation Document and 2024 - 2034 Long-Term Plan. CARRIED |
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External Audit Plan 2023/24 Presented by: Kumaren Perumal – Chief Financial Officer Nolene Naude – Financial Accounting Team Leader Leon Pieterse – Audit New Zealand Warren Goslett – Audit New Zealand In Response to Questions · Audit New Zealand were comfortable that the Audit Plan for the Annual Report 2023/24 audit deadlines were achievable. · Quayside’s audit timeframes were not expected to delay Audit New Zealand timeframes for the BOPRC audit. · The LTP audit was going well, although acknowledged timeframes were tight. · Provided explanation for Audit Plan (Attachment 1) terminologies - uncorrected misstatements (Page 10 of Audit Plan), and material measures/materiality (Page 11 of Audit Plan).
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That the Risk and Assurance Committee: 1 Receives the report, External Audit Plan 2023/24. CARRIED |
10.45am – Cr Scott withdrew from the meeting.
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Internal Audit Status Update Presented by: Steve Slack - Risk & Assurance Manager Key Points · Noted a correction in the report for Table 1 - 2.1 Cryptography (page 63 of the agenda): the due date had been extended from 30 November 2023 to December 2024, therefore the item was not overdue for completion. In Response to Questions · No incidents of fraud had been reported within the organisation in the past year. As part of BOPRC’s fraud policy, Councillors would be informed if fraud activity had been identified. Many internal audits included a fraud component, and an organisation wide fraud risk assessment review was also undertaken as part of the audit programme. · Misinformation versus fraud was dependent on circumstances. · Noted that following the resolution of the Strategy and Policy Committee at their meeting on 20 February 2024 to “extend the timeframe for notifying proposed Regional Policy Statement (RPS) Change 7 (Freshwater) and proposed Regional Natural Resources Plan (RNRP) Change 19 (Freshwater) from December 2024 to September 2025”, the status of the Freshwater Management Key Risk Mitigations internal audit review was no longer on hold. Whether the item could be signed off as completed would be reported back to the June meeting of this committee.
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That the Risk and Assurance Committee: 1 Receives the report, Internal Audit Status Update. CARRIED |
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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 |
11.12am – the meeting closed.
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Chairperson, Risk and Assurance Committee