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Informal Workshop Notes
Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group Workshop
Held: 9:30 am, Friday 14 June 2024, BOPRC Rotorua Office, Waiariki Room, Corner Fenton & Pukaki Street, Rotorua and via Zoom (Audio Visual Meeting)
Heamana
Chairperson: Pou Tākiwaiora Arapeta Tahana
Heamana Tuarua
Deputy Chairperson: Deputy Chair Kevin Winters (Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana (BOPRC)) (via Zoom)
Ngā Kopounga
Members: Te Arawa Lakes Trust (TALT)
Nuki Nicolson; Mariana Te Rangi
Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC)
Mayor Tania Tapsell; Cr Gregg Brown; Phill Thomass – Lakes Community Board Chair (Alternate)
BOPRC
Cr Te Taru White (Alternate)
Ministry for the Environment (MfE) (Observer)
Lorena Stephen, Director, Investments, Policy, Implementation and Delivery (via Zoom)
Te Hunga i Tae Ake
In Attendance: TALT: Geoff Rolleston - Interim Chair; Dr Daryn Bean - Tumu Whakarae (Chief Executive); Haimona Te Nahu - Environment Manager; Soweeta Fort-D'Ath - Lakes Programme Coordinator; William Anaru – Biosecurity Manager (Via Zoom)
RLC: Stavros Michael – Deputy Chief Executive Environmental and Infrastructure Solutions
BOPRC: Cr Lyall Thurston; Helen Creagh – Rotorua Catchments Manager; Rosemary Cross - Senior Projects Manager, Rotorua Catchments; Melissa Williams - Communications Partner; Ashleigh Grant – Kaikarere (Communications Partner); Merinda Pansegrouw – Committee Advisor
External: Stewart Edward - Rotorua Trust Chairperson; John Gifford - Lakes Water Quality Society.
Ngā Hōnea
Apologies: Chairman Doug Leeder (BOPRC)
1. Karakia
Whakatuwhera
Opening Karakia
Karakia whakatuwhera provided by Arapeta Tahana.
2. Workshop Purpose
Facilitated by: Elva Conroy, Conroy Donald Consultants.
Following the presentation of the Independent Review Report to the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group (RTALSG), the purpose of Workshop No. 2 was to:
· Discuss outcomes of the recent desktop review of the Lakes Strategy
· Confirm the strategic priorities/focus areas for the Lakes Strategy (and as a result, for the RTALSG and Lakes Work Programme)
· Confirm next steps for the Lakes Strategy and other recommendations from the RTALSG review.
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PART 1 - Lakes Strategy Review Presentation 20240614 RTALSG Strategy Review Workshop Slides Elva Conroy - 14 June 2024: Objective ID A4697548 |
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· Re-cap of the 22 March 2024 Workshop No.1 outcomes: o Develop a pathway to implementing the recommendations from the RTALSG Review. This would: § Build on/improve what was already in place § Identify short and medium term actions to progress improvements o Focussed on two recommendations as a starting point: Recommendation 1: Terms of Reference/Purpose of RTALSG and Recommendation 5: Governance Oversight o Agreed that “you cannot keep doing the same thing, the same way and keep expecting something different to happen” o Looked at “what can we do together that we can't do alone?” Collaborative governance could: § influence government decisions and enable large-scale actions that may not be achievable individually § enable shared responsibility projects/resourcing/funding § Result in connected action/greater environmental impact o Key elements of successful collaborative governance o Governance Oversight (direction vs. delivery) o Strategy as foundation o Resulting actions: § Refresh the Strategy/develop an action plan in 2024 § Ensure the Lakes Programme delivered projects that aligned with the Strategy and Action Plan § Ensure all reporting aligned with the Strategy and Action Plan § Ensure all new RTALSG members go through an induction process, in relation to the RTALSG purpose/the reason for its inception along with key foundational documents o The existing Lakes Strategy had a lot of good content – required a simplistic approach to Strategy refresh. Desktop Review · Lakes Strategy was a product of its time but needed to be simplified significantly to be useful/fit for purpose · Vision needed to remain unchanged, as it was embedded in the Settlement Act · There were too many layers: 3 elements/outcome statements; 9 focus areas/11 goals. Many of the goals were not goals, but instead represented a way of working · There were opportunities to shorten the length of the Strategy · Opportunity to embed Te Tupapa o ngã Wai o Te Arawa/Te Arawa Cultural Values Framework · A refresh could offer: o Simpler/straight forward/to the point/shorter o Outcomes focused/values/principles driven o Clarity for implementation via an action plan · Suggested a refresh of the strategy via a simple and speedy process · Cited Te Maru o Kaituna River Authority as co-governance partnership case study/example (10-year Action Plan, with actions grouped per activity/projected-based approach). Key Points – Members: · Highlighted the importance of establishing a sense of ownership/ celebration/community connection · All needed to be “in the same waka” – with an agreed travel of direction (establishing a common interest) · Leading role by iwi/hapū was of critical importance · Collaboration/mutual support · Strategy Group to focus on “strategy” matters · Required a simplified strategy. “Brain dump” – Strategic Priorities/Focus Areas · Thinking ahead (at least 50 years), with a successful strategy roll-out completed, looking at a favourite lake, what would be seen/heard/felt:
Where should we as a collective be focussing our efforts, with a focus on topics rather than projects/solutions (thinking wider – what “could” be done) Key Points – Members: · Suggested framework: Wai Ora/Taiao (health and wellbeing of the taiao) /Wai Rua (connection to the lakes) / Mokopuna Decisions & Guidance · Wai Ora (health and wellbeing of the taiao) o Water quality/wetland restoration/native forests restored/best practice land management implemented o Biosecurity/gorse removal/large scale weed spraying/defend against new aquatic incursions/surveillance for current and new threats/core to TALT as lakebed owners - removal of invasive weeds o o Compliance o Innovation o Community and iwi lead care groups o Nature based solutions o Local iwi and hapū consultation o Drinkable water o Other ways to improve water quality o Native replanting o Catchment approach o Actions that restored native regeneration and healthy/symbiotic relationships between lakes and people o Land use optimisation/fit for purpose o Addressing human created contaminants/silt/excess nutrients/no algae blooms/mauri of lakes and water o Native species protection/address introduced pests o Balance environment and community o Nature solutions by innovation/technology · Wai Rua (connection to the lakes) o Food sovereignty/kai/revitalise cultural practices and knowledge o Recreation/enjoyment/sensitive urban development/economic values/ community connection and involvement/tourism o Establishing meaningful relationships o Kids capable of doing manus (bombs) o Reflecting/being like nature o Reconnection/Identity/recognition o Community activities o Reconnecting people with lakes/nature o No threat to community o Purpose/meaning/fulfilment for daily life around lakes o Connection of community/sustainable recreation/liveability · Mokopuna Decisions & Guidance: o Climate change - resilience/research & innovation/geothermal potential o Future leadership (Youth) o Education o Geothermal power o Capacity and capability building · Leadership (future leadership) o Te Arawa Leading in water quality o Supporting iwi to look after the lakes o Support for iwi-lead Mātauranga mauri solutions o Aligning leadership behaviour and style with the way of water (life giving/humble/connected/adaptability) o Leadership/effective communication o Enabling/empowering iwi/hapū o Collectable capability skills/respective contributions/lift the vision beyond local community/promote to all visitors/global; indigenous environment champion o All to contribute to safeguard – beyond local – across New Zealand o Look for success stories – good examples/celebrate successes o Iconic taonga for Aotearoa o Required a perception change of what Rotorua and the Lakes were about – recapture past successes (community to feel valued) o Acknowledged that the Lakes needed to be seen as “the jewel in the crown”. Where to from here? Key Points – Elva Conroy: · Encouraged members to think about “what was the strength of each organisation in achieving the vision” · To think about what our collective strengths were in achieving the vision. “What can we do together that we cannot do alone” · To consider how long the process to review the strategy should take/level and consultation process that would be required. |
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Part 2 - RTALSG - Review what would be next |
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· Summarised progress made to date in addressing the recommendations made following the Independent review of the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group since December 2023 · Actions completed/in progress: o Recommendation 1: Vision and Strategy Document to underpin the Lakes Programme – agreed in principle o Recommendation 2: Carry out a refresh of the Vision and Strategy – have confirmed priority areas and in the process of review o Recommendation 3: Elevate the status and role of TALT within the Strategy Group and associated Lakes Programme – in progress o Recommendation 5: All Strategy Group members to wānanga potential solutions to the matters raised through interview feedback – addressed in March 2024 workshop o Recommendation 7: TALT to carry out a review of their Protocol Agreement with Ministry for the Environment and initiate a Mana Whakahono-ā-Rohe agreement with individual partner agencies – in progress · Matters still to be addressed: o Recommendation 4: Future proofing Chair arrangement – to develop an approach o Recommendation 6: Carry out a review of the Deed of Funding agreement by the Crown and all Strategy Group partners o Recommendation 8: hold regular inductions with new Strategy Group members and staff from partner agencies – to develop an approach. Key Points - Members: · TALT: o Would be important not to work in silos o Values needed to be incorporated/embedded at a strategic level o To identify workstreams/key priorities/embedding TALT in workstreams and working more collaboratively/collectively o TALT to liaise with Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and other responsible ministries/ministers (Ministry for Primary Industries (on Biosecurity matters)/Department of Conservation/Climate Change Minister to navigate and development of an understanding of requirements, with the goal to replenish the Deed Funding o Elevating the status of TALT within the Strategy Group would also include Te Arawa iwi/hapū involvement (iwi/hapū fresh water statements/environmental plans) · BOPRC o Highlighted the importance of relationships (i.e. analogy of the co-governance group being three-legged stool) o Required collective action – strength in common interest o Relationship based on commonality · Lakes Water Quality Society (LWQS) o Process needed to engage communities much more strongly o Strategy Group needed to connect more with communities – at a grass-roots level - more friendly/more frequently o Required continued communication/informal engagement · Pou Tākiwaiora o Supported the concept of independence for the Strategy Group Chair o Members needed to consider why relationships in the past had been challenging and what could be done to address this going forward; ultimately “needed to understand what we should be fixing” · John Gifford referenced a previous model that had been successful and encouraged all to review the valuable documental history: LWQS Symposium 2006 “Rotorua Lakes 2006, Wonderful Lakes – What Value? Who Pays?”, The Rotorua Lakes Protection and Restoration Action Programme, Proposals, Costs, Progress, a paper by Paul Dell (Page 45). The article was available via this link: https://lakeswaterquality.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/symposiums/2006-symposium-proceedings.pdf · A key issue that needed to be addressed with the Crown was the challenge that the original settlement deed funding model included four lakes only; this has since evolved to include kaitiakitanga over Te Arawa 14 lakes · Critical that all partners needed to pull in the same direction · RLC: Emphasised that water quality of the lakes had always being a top priority for Councils; pointed out that Councils were required to prioritise affordability, balance priorities, also for communities outside of funded schemes. Key Points – Elva Conroy: · Reminded that the intent of the treaty settlement was to (1) restore mana and rangatiratanga of Te Arawa; and (2) establish a meaningful relationship of mutual trust and co-operation between Crown and Te Arawa · Goal was to ensure the intent of the Settlement Act was upheld
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Next workshop: 20 September 2024
11:30am - Workshop closed.