Council Meeting

19 November 2019

Northland Regional Council Minutes

Meeting held in the Council Chamber

36 Water Street, Whangārei

on Tuesday 19 November 2019, commencing at 10.30am

Present:

Chairperson, Penny Smart

Councillors:

John Bain

Justin Blaikie

Jack Craw

Colin Kitchen

Amy Macdonald

Marty Robinson

Rick Stolwerk

Joce Yeoman

In Attendance:

Full Meeting

Chief Executive Officer

GM – Strategy, Governance and Engagement

GM - Environmental Services

GM - Corporate Excellence

GM - Regulatory Services

Part Meeting

                                                         Finance Manager

                                                         Organisational Project Manager

                                                         Community Engagement Manager

                                                         Financial Accountant

                                                         Resource Scientist – Coastal

                                                         Economist

                                                         Management Accountant

                                                         Assistant Management Accountant

                                                         Natural Hazards Advisor

                                                         Cultural Māori Advisor

                                                         Accounts Receivable Officer

                                                         Governance Support Manager

The Chair declared the meeting open at 10.30am.  The Māori Cultural Advisor was in attendance and presented the Statement of Intent (Tauāki ā roto), a form of karakia, developed specifically for council.

Public Forum (Item 0.0)

Moved (Smart/Yeoman)

That a public forum be permitted (as per Standing Order 14).

Carried

Secretarial Note:

· As per standing order 14.14 the Chair waived the requirement for five days’ notice and permitted two speakers from the group ‘Extinction Rebellion Whangārei’ to address council for a period of up to five minutes.

· Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn and Rosie Warner spoke on behalf of ‘Extinction Rebellion Whangarei’; calling on the regional council to declare a climate emergency.

· Council undertook to workshop this matter further.

Apologies (Ngā whakapahā) (Item 1.0)

The apologies from Independent Financial Advisor, Geoff Copstick, were noted.

Declarations of Conflicts of Interest (Nga whakapuakanga) (Item 2.0)

It was advised that councillors should make declarations item-by-item as the meeting progressed.

Receipt of Supplementary and Tabled Reports (Item 2.0A)

ID: A1261411 and A1259953

Reports from Sally Bowron, PA/Team Admin Strategy, Governance and Engagement, and Dave Tams, GM – Corporate Excellence

Moved (Kitchen/Stolwerk)

That as permitted under section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 the following supplementary and tabled reports be received:

· Supplementary Item 6.1: Confirmation of Governance Structure, Membership and Councillor Portfolios

· Confidential Tabled Item 8.2: Independent Member Appointments

Carried

Health & Safety Report - October 2019 (Item 3.0)

ID: A1255255

Report from Andree James, Health and Safety and Human Resources Advisor and Beryl Steele, Human Resources Manager

Moved (Craw/Stolwerk)

That the report ‘Health & Safety Report - October 2019’ by Andree James, Health and Safety and Human Resources Advisor and Beryl Steele, Human Resources Manager and dated 31 October 2019, be received.

Carried

Working Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefings (Item 4.1)

ID: A1256984

Report from Sally Bowron, Strategy, Governance and Engagement Team Admin/PA

Moved (Robinson/Macdonald)

That the report ‘Working Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefings’ be received.

Carried

Approval to open an Australian currency bank account with ASB (Item 5.1)

ID: A1254254

Report from Simon Crabb, Finance Manager

Moved (Blaikie/Bain)

1.         That the report ‘Approval to open an Australian currency bank account with ASB’ by Simon Crabb, Finance Manager and dated 29 October 2019, be received.

Carried

It was further moved (Bain/Stolwerk)

2.         That an Australian currency bank account is opened with ASB Bank Limited.

Carried

Financial Report to 31 October 2019 (Item 5.2)

ID: A1256762

Report from Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant

Moved (Bain/Blaikie)

That the report ‘Financial Report to 31 October 2019’ by Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and dated 5 November 2019, be received.

Carried

Confirmation of Governance Structure, Membership and Councillor Portfolios (Supplementary Item 6.1)

ID: A1257595

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager, and Linda Harrison, Organisational Project Manager

Moved (Bain/Stolwerk)

1.         That the report ‘Confirmation of Governance Structure, Membership and Councillor Portfolios’ by Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager and Linda Harrison, Organisational Project Manager and dated 7 November 2019, be received.

2.         That Northland Regional Council establishes the following committee, subcommittees and working parties:

a.    Investment and Property Subcommittee

b.    Audit and Risk Subcommittee

c.     Water and Land Working Party

d.    Climate Change Working Party

e.    Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party

f.     Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party

g.    Whangārei Public Transport Working Party

h.    Planning and Regulatory Working Party

i.      Regional Land Transport Committee

3.         That the governance structure established at this meeting be reviewed for effectiveness and possible improvements after six months of operation.

4.         That the council appoints the councillor and independent membership to its subcommittees, working parties and joint committees – including the appointment of the Chairperson as ex-officio to all subcommittees and working parties, as set out in the body of this report and attachments.

5.         That the Chairperson of each subcommittee, working party and joint committee report to council monthly on their activities.

6.         That the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Regional Transport Committee invite nominations for a representative from each district council and from the NZ Transport Agency, then from these nominations, be delegated the power to identify up to ten (10) required independent appointments to that committee, subject to those persons being suitably qualified and subject also to council’s approval at its next subsequent meeting.

7.         That the delegations to, and terms of reference included in this report and relevant attachments be approved for the:

a.    Investment and Property Subcommittee

b.    Audit and Risk Subcommittee

c.     Water and Land Working Party

d.    Climate Change Working Party

e.    Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party

f.     Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party

g.    Whangārei Public Transport Working Party

h.    Planning and Regulatory Working Party

i.      Regional Transport Committee

8.         That the council appoints councillors to the following Working Groups in the following roles:

Memberships / Delegation	Councillor
Doubtless Bay Catchment Working Group	Cr Kitchen Community member Chair
Mangere Catchment Working Group	Cr Yeoman Community Member Chair
Ngunguru Catchment Working Group	Cr Macdonald Community Member Chair
Poutō Catchment Working Group	Cr Smart Community Member Chair
Waitangi Catchment Working Group	Cr Robinson Community Member Chair
Whangārei Catchment Working Group	Cr Craw Community Member Chair
Whangārei Heads Pest Management Working Group	Cr Macdonald
Kāeo-Whangaroa River Working Group	Cr Robinson as Chair
Kaihū River Working Group	Cr Bain as Chair
Kerikeri River Working Group	Cr Yeoman as Chair
Ruakākā River Working Group	Cr Stolwerk as Chair
Taumārere River Working Group	Cr Blaikie and Community Member as Co-Chairs
Urban Whangārei Working Group	Cr Craw as Chair
Awanui River Working Group	Cr Kitchen as Chair

9.         That the council confirms the following appointments and delegations to the entities listed in Attachment 1:

Memberships / Delegation	Councillor
Appeals on Regional Plan	Cr Yeoman
Inter council working party on genetically modified organisms risk evaluation and management	No appointment until Regional Plan finalised.
Kaipara Moana Working Party	Crs Smart & Yeoman.  Noting that this may become a formalised body post settlement in 2020.
Northland Conservation Board	Shared across council (constituent councillor to attend meeting based on location).
Northland Sports Facilities Plan (Sport Northland)	Cr Stolwerk
Shareholder representative for Northland Marsden Maritime Holdings Ltd (delegating all necessary authority to represent the council’s interest including but not limited to exercising council’s vote at Annual General Meetings and giving effect to council’s shareholder resolutions).	Cr Smart
Shareholder representative for Northland Inc Ltd (Delegating all necessary authority to represent the council’s interest including but not limited to exercising the council’s vote at Annual General Meetings and giving effect to council’s shareholder resolutions)	Cr Bain
Shareholder representative on Regional Software Holdings Ltd. (Delegating all necessary authority to represent the council’s interest including but not limited to exercising the council’s vote at Annual General Meetings and giving effect to council’s shareholder resolutions)	Cr Smart
Upper North Island Strategic Alliance (UNISA)	Cr Smart
Zone one (LGNZ)	Cr Smart Alternate councillor – Cr Yeoman.

10.       That the appointments detailed in recommendation 9 above, endorses that all councillors attending meetings of these entities constitutes as the local authority’s business.  Hence appointed members can claim vehicle and travel time allowances.

11.       That based on the allocation of responsibilities outlined in the body of this report and Attachment 1 “Proposed New Governance Structure for the 2019-2022 Triennium”, that the pool for higher duties allowance of $580,951 be fully allocated as follows:

a)    That the Deputy Chair receives a higher duties allowance of $7,500; bringing the Deputy Chair total salary to $79,181.

b)    That remaining councillors receive a higher duties allowance of $17,971, each bringing councillors total salary to $71,681.  This is based on the underpinning principle of council that additional duties will be apportioned in such a manner that there will be an equitable workload between councillors.

12.       That the higher duties allocation set out above (supplemented by the appropriate supporting information), will be provided to the Remuneration Authority by 20 November 2019.

Carried

Secretarial Note: A correction was noted to the body of the report that Councillor Robinson was a member of the Climate Change Working Party (replacing Councillor Blaikie).

Meeting Dates for the remainder of 2019 (Item 6.2)

ID: A1256388

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager

Moved (Kitchen/Craw)

1.         That the report ‘Meeting Dates for the remainder of 2019’ by Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager and dated 4 November 2019, be received.

2.         That the programme of meetings for the remainder of 2019 be adopted (as amended at the meeting).

Carried

Secretarial Note:  The amendments included the Regional Transport Committee to meet on 16 December 2019 (instead of 2 December as detailed in the report) and that council’s subcommittees/working parties would not meet until the New Year.

Retrospective approval for council submissions (Item 6.3)

ID: A1256675

Report from Justin Murfitt, Strategic Policy Specialist

Moved (Yeoman/Blaikie)

1.         That the report ‘Retrospective approval for council submissions’ by Justin Murfitt, Strategic Policy Specialist and dated 5 November 2019, be received.

2.         That council retrospectively approve the submissions attached to this item.

Carried

Secretarial Note:  Appreciation was extended to staff involved in collating the submissions given the level of technical detail and tight timeframes.

Manea Footprints of Kupe - Agreement regarding the fulfilment of a condition of funding (Item 6.4)

ID: A1256810

Report from Darryl Jones, Economist

Moved (Stolwerk/Blaikie)

1.         That the report ‘Manea Footprints of Kupe - Agreement regarding the fulfilment of a condition of funding’ by Darryl Jones, Economist and dated 5 November 2019, be received.

2.         That the condition requiring the funding agreement to contain an undertaking that Manea will be held in perpetuity for the benefit of the local community and that should it ever be sold into private ownership that council will be refunded its $500,000 funding allocation is considered satisfied by the text contained in Attachment 1 pertaining to agenda item 6.4 of the council meeting held on 19 November 2019.

Carried

Chief Executive’s Report to Council (Item 7.1)

ID: A1254379

Report from Malcolm Nicolson, Chief Executive Officer

Moved (Stolwerk/Macdonald)

That the report ‘Chief Executive’s Report to Council’ by Malcolm Nicolson, Chief Executive Officer and dated 31 October 2019, be received.

Carried

Business with Public Excluded (Item 8.0)

Moved (Smart/Yeoman)

1. That the public be excluded from the proceedings of this meeting to consider confidential matters.

2. That the general subject of the matters to be considered whilst the public is excluded, the reasons for passing this resolution in relation to this matter, and the specific grounds under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution, are as follows:

Item No.	Item Issue	Reasons/Grounds
8.1	Human Resources Report	The public conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of information, the withholding of which is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons s7(2)(a).
8.2 Tabled	Independent Member Appointments	The public conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of information, the withholding of which is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons s7(2)(a).

Carried

Conclusion

The meeting concluded at 12.04pm.