Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group

Ngā Meneti

Open Minutes

Commencing:             Wednesday 27 March 2024, 10:05 AM

Venue:                         Mataatua Room, Bay of Plenty Regional Council Building,
5 Quay Street, Whakatāne and via Zoom (Audio visual meeting)

Heamana Tuarua

Deputy Chairperson:  Pouroto Ngaropo (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa)

Ngā Kopounga

Members:                    Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana (BOPRC):

                                    Cr Malcolm Campbell (Alternate) (Via Zoom)

                                                      Ngāti Mākino Iwi Authority:

                                                      Awhi Awhimate, Laurance Tamati (Alternate)

Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust (TMoNRT):
Tiipene Marr (Alternate)

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa (TRoNA):

Manu Glen (Alternate)

Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC):

Lakes Community Board Chair Phill Thomass (Alternate)

Whakatāne District Council (WDC):

Mayor Victor Luca

Te Hunga i Tae Ake

In Attendance:            BOPRC: Kataraina O’Brien – General Manager Strategic Engagement, Herewini Simpson – Kaihautu (Te Amorangi Lead), Shari Kameta – Committee Advisor 
Project Team: Dr Frances Teinakore-Curtis – Project Manager, Keri Topperwien – Consultant Plan Writer, Jane Waldon - Co-Governance Secretariat
TMoNRT: Miria Nicholls - Kaiawhina Hapori | Taiao Admin Support – Environmental & Social

                                    Tuanuku Ltd: Dr Naomi Simmonds

Ngā Hōnea

Apologies:                  Chair Leith Comer (TMoNRT)

Chairman Doug Leeder (BOPRC)

Cr Gregg Brown (RLC)
Jim Schuster (Ngāti Tūwharetoa (BOP) Settlement Trust)

Mayor Faylene Tunui and Deputy Mayor Aaron Rangihika (Alternate) (Kawerau District Council)

Deputy Mayor Lesley Immink (Alternate, WDC)

 

1.     Karakia Whakatuwhera
Opening Karakia

A karakia was provided by Tiipene Marr.

Deputy Chair Pouroto Ngaropo offered a mihi of acknowledgement and welcome.

2.     Ngā Hōnea
Apologies

Resolved

That the Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group:

1           Accepts the apologies from Chair Leith Comer, Cr Gregg Brown, Mayor Faylene Tunui, Chairman Doug Leeder, Jim Schuster, Deputy Mayor Lesley Immink and Deputy Mayor Aaron Rangihika tendered at the meeting.

Ngaropo/Thomass

CARRIED

3.     Whakapuakanga o Ngā Take Whai Taha-Rua
Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

None declared.

4.     Ngā Pūrongo
Reports

4.1

Chairperson's Report

Presented by:  Dr Frances Teinakore-Curtis (on behalf of Chair Leith Comer)

Key Points:

·     The report sought support for two submissions to BOPRC’s Long Term Plan

·     Te Niaotanga ō Mātaatua o Te Arawa’s submission was seeking to replace septic tanks with a wastewater scheme

·     Highlighted the solution, benefits and challenges with the project

·     Noted that a presentation would be given to WDC on 24 April 2024 for further information

·     Funding being sought for the continuation of Co-Governance secretariat support was separate to the Crown’s contribution that had been provided as part of Ngāti Rangitihi’s Treaty Settlement.

Key Points - Members:

·     Queried the accuracy of costs that had been provided for continued funding of the co-governance secretariat role

·     In relation to the Matatā Wastewater Project:

o   Recognised the absence of Ngāti Mākino due to the project being established before Ngāti Mākino’s interests had been confirmed under Ngāti Rangitihi’s Treaty Settlement legislation

o   Sought consideration within the submission for Te Awa o Te Atua to be included as part of the Tarawera Awa, as opposed to being identified as a tributary, which was acknowledged by staff

o   Considered further environmental assessment and options analysis was needed to support the project’s proposed solution

o   Referred to Lake Rotorua’s sewerage reticulation schemes as examples of having well-designed schemes that empowered communities

o   Due to the likelihood of potential increases to scheme costs, it was suggested that the Matatā Wastewater Project consider asking for a percentage of the scheme’s cost rather than a fixed number.

 

Resolved

That the Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group:

1           Receives the report, Chairperson's Report;

2           Endorses the proposed joint submission (Attachment 1) of the Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group and Rangitāiki River Forum iwi members to the BOPRC Long Term Plan 2024-2034 to be signed by the Co-Governance Chairs;

3           Endorses a letter of support of the Matatā Wastewater Project, to be prepared and signed by the Strategy Group Chair and attached to Te Nīaotanga ō Mataatua ō Te Arawa’s submission to the BOPRC Long Term Plan 2024-2034,  taking into consideration that a comprehensive options analysis that includes Mātauranga Maori and Western Science aspects is to be completed;

4           Agrees to the Chair making any necessary minor grammatical and formatting amendments to the joint submission and letter of support.

Luca/Awhimate

CARRIED

 

5.     Item to be transferred into Public Excluded

5.1

Report Attachment 2 - Te Niaotanga ō Mataatua ō Te Arawa - Draft submission to BOPRC Draft LTP 2024-34

 

Members were informed that Te Niaotanga ō Mātaatua ō Te Arawa had not intended for their submission to be shared publicly as part of the meeting agenda. The submission needed minor amendment, was still to be officially signed off and would be made available for public information as part of Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Long Term Plan submission process.

 

Therefore, Te Niaotanga ō Mātaatua ō Te Arawa’s Project Manager requested that the submission be removed from the meeting’s public agenda.

 

Resolved

That the Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group:

1           Transfers into the Public Excluded section of the meeting the following report attachment on the grounds set out in the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987:

(a)   Te Niaotanga o Mataatua o Te Arawa - BOPRC Draft LTP 2024-34 Submission 28 March 2024 under Section 48(1)(a)(i) Section 7 (2)(c)(ii) as withholding the information is necessary to protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence or which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under the authority of any enactment, where the making available of the information would be likely otherwise to damage the public interest and that this attachment remain in Public Excluded.

Luca/Thomass

CARRIED

6.     Karakia Kati
Closing Karakia

A karakia would be provided following the Strategy Group’s Public Excluded Workshop that was to follow the meeting.

11:17 am – the meeting closed.

 

 

Confirmed 18 June 2024                                                                

                                                                                           Leith Comer

Chairperson

Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group