Open Minutes
Commencing: Tuesday 31 October 2023, 9.30am
Venue: Council Chambers, Ground Floor, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga
Chairperson: Cr Paula Thompson
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Kat Macmillan
Members: Cr Malcolm Campbell
Cr Stuart Crosby
Cr Toi Kai Rākau Iti
Cr Matemoana McDonald
Cr Jane Nees
Cr Ron Scott
Cr Ken Shirley
Cr Lyall Thurston
Cr Andrew von Dadelszen
Cr Te Taru White (via Zoom)
In Attendance: Staff: Fiona McTavish – Chief Executive; Namouta Poutasi – General Manager, Strategy and Science; Reuben Fraser - General Manager, Regulatory Services; Chris Ingle – General Manager, Integrated Catchments (via Zoom); Kataraina O’Brien – General Manager, Strategic Engagement (via Zoom); Julie Bevan – Policy and Planning Manager; Stephanie Macdonald – Community Engagement Team Leader; Pete Hennessey – Communications Team Leader; Michelle Lee – Planner (Water Policy); Jessica Shailer – Environmental Scientist; Margaret Courtney – Senior Advisor; Stephen Lamb – Environmental Strategy Manager (via Zoom); Nicola Green – Principal Advisor Policy and Planning; James Low – Team Leader Policy (Freshwater); Mark Ivamy – Senior Planner Natural Hazards; Jane Palmer – Senior Planner Climate Change; Steve Groom – Governance Manager; Antoine Coffin – Manager, Spatial Planning; Jenny Teeuwen – Committee Advisor
Apologies: Chairman Doug Leeder and Cr Kevin Winters
1. Chair’s Opening Statement
Chairperson Cr Paula Thompson opened the meeting and reminded those present 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 Toi Moana (Regional Council) YouTube channel following the meeting.
Recording link: Strategy and Policy Committee Meeting - 31 October 2023 - YouTube
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That the Strategy and Policy Committee: 1 Accepts the apologies from Chairman Doug Leeder and Cr Kevin Winters for absence tendered at the meeting. CARRIED |
3. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
Minutes to be Confirmed
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Strategy and Policy Committee Open and Public Excluded Minutes - 8 August 2023 |
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That the Strategy and Policy Committee: 1. Confirms the Open Strategy and Policy Committee Minutes – 8 August 2023 as a true and correct record; and 2. Confirms the Public Excluded Strategy and Policy Committee Minutes - 8 August 2023 as a true and correct record. CARRIED |
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Essential Freshwater- Community Engagement Summary Presented by: Stephanie Macdonald – Community Engagement Team Leader Pete Hennessey – Communications Team Leader Michelle Lee – Planner (Water Policy) Jessica Shailer – Environmental Scientist Margaret Courtney – Senior Advisor Reuben Fraser - General Manager, Regulatory Services Presentation: Essential Freshwater Community Engagement Summary: Objective ID A4521377 ⇨ Key Points - Staff · Provided overview of the communications and engagement activities delivered during the April - September 2023 community engagement period, including the mediums used (refer Page 21 of agenda for full list), and the results of the communication campaign, engagement with tangata whenua, and the participation at community engagement activities. · Outlined key themes, including tangata whenua desired outcomes and concerns, visions and values, water quality options (general and land management), water quantity, and Freshwater Management Unit (FMU) specific issues. In Response to Questions · The Te Mana o Te Wai conference hosted by the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) had been a good opportunity for kaitiaki who were monitoring their waterways, and for Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana (Regional Council) staff, to understand the different issues that kaitiaki were facing, to look at best practice and learn from one another. Iwi presentations at the hui-ā-rohe had also been successful. · Tangata whenua were willing to articulate what specific cultural sites meant for them but were hesitant about sharing those sites. If sites were shared, there was concern around how this information would be received, stored and shared, and what protocols would be put in place for this. · The Plan Change 9 process had a more targeted engagement. The engagement for the freshwater plan change process was more intensive, with longer timeframes and more options and techniques to connect with iwi/hapū. Acknowledged the similarity of tangata whenua feedback for both engagements with issues raised previously still being relevant today. · Every effort had been made to engage with as many as possible to gauge commonalities of views and get some consensus for what the issues were. · The engagement carried out so far was only part of process. There would be further opportunities for tangata whenua to provide feedback. Regional Council would continue to engage with those who were interested and available. · Whilst there were some comments regarding Three Waters, this topic was not part of the scope of this engagement and conversations were steered to be more focussed on freshwater. · It was acknowledged that Mātauranga Māori was sometimes a barrier for resource consents. Regional Council had a range of approaches to take to ensure Mātauranga Māori was not discounted, and remained committed to working through this on an individual basis. · Regional Council used the same approach for all resource consent applications where cultural values, effects and mitigations needed to be identified by kaitiaki mandated representatives. Staff were confident that Regional Council’s processes would identify the effects that needed to be managed and the ways of managing those effects. · It was important for Regional Council’s compliance team to partner with kaitiaki monitoring to build good relationships and trust. · Feedback received for water over-allocation and clawback was varied rather than having one clear overall theme. · There had been no particular feedback on the term for water take consents. · Acknowledged the uncertainty while waiting for a new government to form. Any new directions from the new government were not expected until early next year. Notification of the Regional Policy Statement (RPS) and Regional Natural Resources Plan (RNRP) changes was not required until December 2024 so there was time to pivot as and when needed. Regional Council would continue to focus on delivery of what was still required to be done. · The staff working on the Freshwater Programme were from all over the organisation e.g. science, planning, engagement, communications, Te Amorangi, GIS, land management, EDS, consents, compliance and others. Costs associated with freshwater National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) implementation were requested. Key Points - Members Acknowledged the excellent work that had gone into the agenda report and the community engagement programme, and commended the staff involved.
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That the Strategy and Policy Committee: 1. Receives the report, Essential Freshwater- Community Engagement Summary; and 2. Notes an outline of planned engagement for 2024 will be presented to this committee at its December 2023 meeting. CARRIED |
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Operating Environment Presented by: Namouta Poutasi – General Manager, Strategy and Science Julie Bevan – Policy and Planning Manager Mark Ivamy – Senior Planner, Natural Hazards · It was expected that the Regional Sector would submit as a whole to the draft transitional National Planning Framework (NPF) proposal. There was support from Councillors for Regional Council to provide a separate submission, specifically highlighting the conflicts between the proposed NPF and the National Policy Statements. · There was no clear definition of “tolerable” within the proposed National Policy Statement - Natural Hazard Decision-making (NPS-NHD). Regional Council’s draft submission touched on this in section 6; however, the wording would be amended to more clearly state that a definition of “tolerable” was required. · It was intended that a report would be presented to Regional Council in December 2023 seeking endorsement of a partial review of the Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP). Updates for gold clam and Kauri dieback would be considered as part of that report.
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That the Strategy and Policy Committee: 1. Receives the report, Operating Environment; 2. Requests that staff prepare a submission on the draft transitional National Planning Framework (NPF) proposal; and 3. Supports the proposed draft submission on the Proposed NPS-NHD including any feedback provided. CARRIED |
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Draft submission to Environment Select Committee inquiry into climate adaptation Presented by: Jane Palmer – Senior Planner Climate Change · The National Climate Change Adaptation Plan was essentially the work programme and included an action to pass legislation to support managed retreat. · All documents that had been put out for consultation by the MfE, including the climate adaptation inquiry, would continue during the caretaker government stage. · Whilst a central government adaptation fund was encouraged, it was suggested that the wording in the submission be strengthened to emphasise that any such fund should be centrally driven rather than an additional requirement at a local level. · It was highlighted in the draft submission that the term “community led retreat” was misleading and that the term needed to be used with care. · At this point, Regional Council did not intend to request to be heard at the submissions hearing.
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That the Strategy and Policy Committee: 1 Receives the report, Draft submission to Environment Select Committee inquiry into climate adaptation; and 2 Supports the submission to the Environment Select Committee, including any feedback provided. CARRIED |
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Chairperson, Strategy and Policy Committee