Minutes of Future Napier Committee - Thursday, 11 February 2021

Future Napier Committee - 11 February 2021 - Open Minutes

Apologies

Councillors Browne / Simpson

That the apology from Councillor Taylor be accepted.

Carried

Conflicts of interest

Public forum

Nil

Announcements by the Mayor

Nil

Announcements by the Chairperson

Deputy Mayor Brosnan acknowledged and thanked elected members and staff for a successful commemoration of the 90 year anniversary of the 1931 earthquake held on 3 February 2021.

Announcements by the management

The Director City Strategy, Mr Munneke updated the meeting on legislative changes on the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020. A brief overview of the changes to the Act were:

· Reduce the complexity of the Resource Management Act

· Increase certainty

· Restore public participation opportunities

· Improve Resource management Act 1991 processes.

The Resource Management Act was very complex law and would be phased in over three years.

Confirmation of minutes

Councillors Chrystal / Browne

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2020 were taken as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

Carried

Agenda Items

1. Review of Local Government Investment in Business and Industry Support across the Hawke’s Bay Region.

Type of Report:	Information
Legal Reference:	Local Government Act 2002
Document ID:	1278534
Reporting Officer/s & Unit:	Bill Roberts, Economic Development Manager Richard Munneke, Director City Strategy

1.1 Purpose of Report

The Review of Local Government Investment in Business and Industry Support across the Hawke’s Bay Region report (Attachment A) summarises the findings and recommendations of a review of Hawke’s Bay Council-funded, non-statutory activities that are focussed on business, industry and sector development.

At the Meeting

Mr Charteris from the Giblin Group Limited displayed a powerpoint presentation providing an overview of opportunities to improve regional coherence of economic development investments.

The key findings and recommendations noted were:

· No major gaps

· But current services are often sub-scale and not well coordinated

· Hawke’s Bay Tourism Limited (HBTL) was an exception and were operating very effectively and efficiently.

· Business Hawke’s Bay’s (BHB) financial sustainably

· There was a case for change – businesses felt they did not know who was leading and go for different services.

· Main recommendation - work with Treaty Partners and the wider community to develop a new non-tourism regional economic development entity. Opportunity to work with treaty partners and what co-design would meet better the needs of Māori development.

· Proposed form and funding required

· Functions

· Matariki – governance, impact framework, and resourcing – the review was not about Matariki but some things within Matariki could be improved about the structure of entity that helps Matariki do a wider range of functions.

It was noted that Business Hawke’s Bay did not have Iwi representation on the Board, however have been invited to provide a representative. The Board would want Councils, Iwi, Crown Partners and experts on the Board.

Committee's recommendation

Mayor Wise / Councillor Crown

The Future Napier Committee:

a. Receive the Giblin Group report titled Review of Local Government Investment in Business and Industry Support across the Hawke’s Bay Region dated December 2020.

b. Notes the report is for information purposes only. No decision relating to the recommendations set out in this report are required by Council/Committee.

c. Consider the recommended options to form a new entity to lead (non-tourism) economic development activities. This new entity would focus on business development and support; innovation and industry development; skills building, attraction and retention initiatives; investment promotion and attraction; economic development strategy development; and strategy/action plan programme management.

d. Support the second stage of the review process and a more detailed investigation of the recommendations set out in the Giblin Group report Review of Local Government Investment in Business and Industry Support across the Hawke’s Bay Region dated December 2020. We note that the additional funding for the second stage is planned within the HBLASS (shared services cost centre)

e. Support engagement with Treaty Partners and other regional stakeholders on the opportunity to create an enduring economic development delivery platform that provides Hawke’s Bay with the appropriate scale and mandate to better guide and direct economic development activity to priority areas and issues.

f. Support the opportunity to embed a partnership with Māori in the new EDA model. The model would allow for discussions on the level of engagement with Māori business and, potentially, a joint resourcing approach with Hawke’s Bay Māori/iwi/hāpu fora or organisations.

g. Support the five Council’s commitment to keeping the Hawke’s Bay Business Hub open.

Carried

2. Draft District Plan

Type of Report:	Operational and Procedural
Legal Reference:	Resource Management Act 1991
Document ID:	1276250
Reporting Officer/s & Unit:	Dean Moriarity, Team Leader Policy Planning

2.1 Purpose of Report

For Council to endorse the release of the (non-statutory) Draft District Plan for the purpose of engaging with the community on its content.

At the Meeting

Due to the release of legislative changes to the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 on 11 February 2020 this item was withdrawn from the Agenda and would be addressed at a later when consideration by officers had been undertaken on how Council wished to consult on the Draft District Plan.

Committee's recommendation

Councillors Brosnan / Price

The Future Napier Committee endorsed that the report titled “Draft District Plan” be left to lie on the table for a future meeting with the reason being that officers would need to review the consequences of the legislative changes to the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 released 11 February 2021.

Carried

3. Resource Consent Activity Update

Type of Report:	Information
Legal Reference:	Resource Management Act 1991
Document ID:	1278528
Reporting Officer/s & Unit:	Luke Johnson, Team Leader Planning and Compliance

3.1 Purpose of Report

This report provides an update on recent resource consenting activity. The report is provided for information purposes only, so that there is visibility of major projects and an opportunity for elected members to understand the process.

Applications are assessed by delegation through the Resource Management Act (RMA); it is not intended to have application outcome discussions as part of this paper.

This report only contains information, which is lodged with Council and is publicly available.

At the Meeting

The Director Infrastructure City Services, Mr Kingsford advised that in response to the review of green spaces within the city the District Plan Review needed to continue and that a review of spacial planning for the entire city would be undertaken in consultation with the community. The spacial planning review would provide an understanding on issues, growth and development.

Committee's recommendation

Councillors Wright / Chrystal

The Future Napier Committee:

a. Note the resource consent activity update.

Carried

Minor MATTERS

Maori Ward Legislation – It was noted that the Government would abolish a law that allowed local referendums to veto decisions by Councils to establish Māori wards.

This would be undertaken in time for the 2022 local body elections, and would mean decisions made by nine councils to establish Māori wards for that election could not be overturned by local voters.

Since 2002, when the law was changed allowing councils to establish Māori wards, 24 Councils had attempted to establish them but only two had been successful.

The new legislation would extend the deadline for Councils to consider Māori wards for the 2022 elections to 21 May 2021. Individual submissions could be made until 5.00pm on 11 February 2021. The final proposal had to be ready by September 2021. This would also be an opportunity to look at representation review.

The Acting Pou Whakarae, Morehu Te Tomo would be compiling a submission on behalf of Council based on the principal that Napier City Council supports the changes.

The Committee agreed to refer the issue of Māori Wards and Representation Review to a future meeting.

The meeting closed with a Karakia at 12.40pm

Approved and adopted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

Chairperson .............................................................................................................................

Date of approval ......................................................................................................................