Informal Workshop Notes

Rangitāiki River Forum Workshop

Held:                            1:00 pm, Friday 1 September 2023, Tōtara Room, Whakatāne District Council, Ground floor, Commerce Street, Whakatāne

Chairperson:               Terewai Kalman (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa)

Present:                       Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana (BOPRC):
Cr Malcolm Campbell

Cr Toi Kai Rākau Iti

Cr Kat Macmillan

Cr Kevin Winters

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa:

Karito Paul (Alternate)

Tūhoe Te Uru Taumatua:

Ngapera Rangiaho

Whakatāne District Council (WDC):

Cr Wilson James (Alternate)

In Attendance:            BOPRC: Chris Ingle – General Manager Integrated Catchments, Olive McVicker – Corporate Performance Team Lead, Shari Kameta – Committee Advisor

                                    Taupō District Council (via Zoom): Kendall Goode - Senior Policy Advisor, Kara Scott - Kaitohutohu Iwi, Haututanga Takirua/Iwi and Co-Governance Advisor

                                                      WDC: Leny Woolsey - Manager Strategy and Performance, Steve Perdia, General Manager Stategy & Transformation (via Zoom), Michelle Hingston - Te Pou Herenga Rangapu - Toi Kotuia Manager, Esmay Wharewera - Kairuruku Māori/Relationship Lead

                                                      Parearau Ltd: Jane Waldon – Co-Governance Secretariat

Apologies:                  Te Taute Taiepa and Jane Nicholas (Alternate) - Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whare, Miro Araroa and Mihipeka Sisley (Alternate) – Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, Ngawai Crawford and Tracy Bush (Alternate) – Hineuru Iwi Trust, Katishe McCauley - Ngāti Tūwharetoa (BOP) Settlement Trust, Cr Tuwhakairiora O'Brien - Whakatāne District Council, Whakaeke Ritete – Te Kotahi o Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Cr Ken Shirley – BOPRC, Cr John Williamson – Taupō District Council

 

 

1.          Overview

The purpose of the workshop was to provide a joint presentation and high level overview of the Forum’s partner councils’ Long Term Plans (LTP) for 2024-2034  and to seek any initial feedback from the Forum on the LTPs and how they may wish to engage in the LTP processes.

Refer to Workshop Agenda Pack for Presentation Slides.

1.1        Long Term Plan (LTP) Cycle

Presented by:  Kendall Goode, Senior Advisor – Taupō District Council

Key Points:

·         Councils were commencing reviews of their LTPs for 2024-2034 which set high level direction, outcomes, programmes, costs and budget for the next 10 years

·         Outlined planning cycle and timelines - currently in the development phase. Formal consultation would commence in February/March 2024 and LTPs would be adopted in June 2024

·         Noted the current cost of living crisis requiring councils to balance community needs and aspirations against the cost of delivering activities and services, and the level of uncertainty regarding current reforms due to national elections in October 2023.

1.2        Taupō District Council (Taupō DC) LTP

Presented by:  Kendall Goode, Senior Advisor

                           Supported by Kara Scott, Kaitohutohu Iwi, Haututanga Takirua/Iwi and Co-Governance Advisor

Key Points:

·         Noted there had been a change in timeframe to adopt Taupō’s final draft LTP Consultation Document, which was now anticipated in February 2024 (not December 2023)

·         LTP timeframes and funding were tight

·         Summarised key focus areas in relation to: housing, environment, water and wastewater, transport, recreation and arts and resourcing Māori involvement

·         Early pre-engagement had been held with community/iwi/hapū in July 2023 and was due to close on 4 September 2023. An online survey was available until then, with formal consultation due to start in March 2024

·         Noted alignment between two of Taupō DC’s community outcomes and the objectives and overall vision of Te Ara Whānui o Rangitāiki, being:

o    Resilient communities working in partnership

o    A flourishing environment.

1.3        Whakatāne District Council (WDC) LTP

Presented by:  Leny Woolsey, General Manager Strategy and Performance

Michelle Hingston, Strategy Māori Relationships Manager

Steve Perdia, General Manager Strategy & Transformation (via Zoom)

Key Points:

·         Outlined strategic priorities and key focus areas/objectives that aligned with Te Ara Whānui o Rangitāiki objectives and actions

·         In regard to Objective 4 – WDC was currently seeking public feedback on its Climate Change Strategy via an online survey, community events and network communications

·         LTP budget considerations for strategic priorities/focus areas were anticipated to be finalised by the end of 2023.

·         Consultation Document would be released in March 2024 for public feedback

·         Wished to know how WDC could support Te Ara Whānui objectives and strengthen relationships further.

1.4        Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana (BOPRC) LTP

Presented by:  Chris Ingle, General Manager Integrated Catchments

                     Olive McVicker, Corporate Performance Team Lead

·         Outlined BOPRC’s five new community outcomes

·         Te Ara Poutama/The Pursuit of Excellence Outcome – highlighted the desire to partner with tangata whenua to achieve outcomes

·         How goals/actions would be achieved included working with co-governance forums

·         BOPRC were in the process of developing its activity plans and work programmes

·         Would be looking to engage with the community on the LTP in February/March 2024.

2.          Discussion

The following matters were raised and discussed:

Taupō DC LTP:

·         Regarding the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation affecting State Highway 5 pertaining to the headwaters of the Rangitāiki (southern end of Ngāti Manawa’s rohe and within Ngāti Hineuru’s rohe) - a query was raised regarding what measures and safeguards there were to inform iwi/hapū of work that may be undertaken and if local government had a role in this area. Staff noted that the State Highway fell into Waka Kotahi’s designation, but undertook to seek further information

·         Regarding lake level rise and climate change projections for Lake Taupō – staff noted that lake levels had risen during previous weather events. Waikato Regional Council (WRC) managed dam consents, however Taupō DC worked with Mercury Energy and WRC to manage lake levels and were involved in ensuring mitigation/consideration of climate change impacts across all programmes and projects, which would be an ongoing piece of work.

WDC LTP

·         Sought consideration from both WDC and BOPRC regarding budget measures and strategies to deal with climate change adaption and managed retreat from natural hazard response. Noted recent examples of managed retreat packages for Matatā and Muriwai, Auckland that had involved 50/50 funding contributions from central government and the respective councils for buying out properties

·         Te Mana o te Wai was a guideline for Te Ara Whānui and a priority in relation to environmental issues within the catchment

·         Regarding respective focus areas - strengthening relationships and continuing engagement with iwi and councils, and working with iwi to fund and strengthen projects within their own rohe was raised for consideration

·         Funding of iwi/hapū management plans would assist to increase iwi/hapū capability.

BOPRC LTP

·         Noted the workshop was the first engagement where the five outcomes had been presented and that certain aspects of the goals were still under consideration.

 

3.          Conclusion

The Forum Chair thanked the councils for their presentation and looked forward to further engagement as the LTPs progressed.

 

4.          Karakia Whakamutunga / Closing Karakia

A karakia was provided by Chris Ingle.

 

 

2:07 pm - The workshop closed.