21 July 2020
Northland
Regional Council Minutes
Meeting held in the Council Chamber
36 Water Street, Whangārei
on Tuesday 21 July 2020, commencing
at 10.30am
Present:
Chairperson, Penny Smart
Councillors:
John Bain
Jack Craw
Colin Kitchen
Amy Macdonald
Marty Robinson
Rick Stolwerk
Joce Yeoman
In Attendance:
Full Meeting
Chief
Executive Officer
Independent Advisor
GM - Strategy, Governance and
Engagement
GM - Environmental Services
Governance Support Manager
Part Meeting
Northland
Inc. GM Investment & Infrastructure
GM
- Corporate Excellence
GM
- Customer Services/Community Resilience
Deputy
GM Regulatory Services
Natural
Resources Monitoring Manager
Finance
Manager
Economist
Financial
Accountant
Policy
Specialist
The Chair declared the meeting open at 10.30am and commenced
proceedings with a karakia.
Apologies (Ngā
whakapahā) (Item 1.0)
Moved (Yeoman/Robinson)
That the apologies from
Councillor Blaikie and the Independent Advisor, Geoff Copstick, for
non-attendance be received.
Carried
|
Secretarial Note: The Chief Executive Officer
advised (as per Standing Order 9.9) that Item 7.2, Northland Regional Pest and
Marine Pathway Operational Plan 2020 – 2021, had been withdrawn and would
be directed back to the Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party.
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.
Public Forum - Petition from Hokianga
Environmental Forum (Item 3.0)
ID:
A1332672
Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
|
Cheryl
Turner and Jessie McVeagh addressed council in support of the petition
from the Hokianga Environmental Forum; requesting that the Northland Regional
Council publicly notify the resource consent application from the Far North
District Council regarding the Omapere-Opononi Wastewater Treatment
Plant. The petition was physically presented to the Chair of the
council by one of the tamariki in attendance.
|
Health and Safety Report (Item 4.0)
ID:
A1335501
Report from Beryl Steele, Human Resources Manager
|
Moved
(Stolwerk/Macdonald)
That the report ‘Health
and Safety Report’ by Beryl Steele, Human Resources Manager and dated 3
July 2020, be received.
Carried
|
Confirmation of Minutes - 16 June 2020 (Item 5.1)
ID:
A1334703
Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
|
Moved (Yeoman/Bain)
That the minutes of the ordinary
council meeting held on 16 June 2020 be confirmed as a true and correct
record.
Carried
|
Receipt of Action
Sheet (Item 5.2)
ID:
A1336926
Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
|
Moved (Stolwerk, Kitchen)
That the action sheet be
received.
Carried
|
Working Party Updates
and Chairpersons' Briefings (Item 5.3)
ID:
A1338069
Report from Sally Bowron, Strategy, Governance and
Engagement Team Admin/PA
|
Moved (Craw/Yeoman)
That the report ‘Working
Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefings’ be received.
Carried
|
Secretarial
Note:
·
The Chairs of the Climate Change Working Party, the
Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party and the Planning and Regulatory
Working Party provided a verbal update on the current priorities and work
programmes for these subordinate bodies.
·
Appreciation was extended to the staff involved in the
negotiations with appeal parties on the Proposed Regional Plan.
·
Appreciation was also extended to the staff involved in the
Predator Free Whangārei celebration, attended by Ministers Sage
and Jones. The event was described as ‘exquisitely well
managed’.
|
Local Government Funding Agency: Becoming a
Guaranteeing Member (Item 6.1)
ID:
A1337004
Report from Simon Crabb, Finance Manager
|
Moved (Kitchen/Bain)
1. That
the report ‘Local Government Funding Agency: Becoming a Guaranteeing
Member’ by Simon Crabb, Finance Manager and dated 7 July 2020, be
received.
2. That
council confirms its intention to become a guaranteeing local authority of
the Local Government Funding Agency.
3. That
council delegates authority to the Chief Executive to execute the following
documents for the purposes of recommendation 2 above:
a. Security
Stock Certificate (in relation to the Equity Commitment Deed);
b. Security
Stock Certificate (in relation to the Guarantee and Indemnity);
c. Stock
Issuance Certificate (in relation to the documents noted at recommendations
3a and 3b);
d. Chief
Executive Certificate, and
e. Officer’s
Certificate.
4. That
council authorise Penny Smart, Chair; and Councillor Colin Kitchen, Chair,
Audit and Risk Subcommittee, to execute the following deeds for the purposes
of recommendation 2. above:
a. Accession
Deed to Guarantee and Indemnity; and
b. Accession
Deed to Equity Commitment Deed.
5. That
council authorises the Chief Executive to take any other steps on behalf of
council as the Chief Executive considers necessary or desirable to execute to
give effect to recommendation 2 above.
Carried
|
$10M Loan Repayment (Item 6.2)
ID:
A1336103
Report from Simon Crabb, Finance Manager
|
Moved (Stolwerk/Kitchen)
1. That
the report ‘$10M Loan Repayment’ by Simon Crabb, Finance Manager
and dated 6 July 2020, be received.
2. That
council takes a loan with the Local Government Funding Agency of up to
$4,425,837 (inclusive of 2.5% Borrower Notes), maturing in April 2033, at a
fixed borrowing cost in the range of 1.95% pa and 2.25% pa.
3. That
$6,283,803 of funding held to repay debt is withdrawn from the Long-Term
Investment Fund in accordance with a recommendation from EriksensGlobal.
4. That
$598,994 of borrowed funds is deposited into council’s working capital
to reimburse river scheme capex costs incurred in 2019/20.
Carried
|
Interest Rate for
Special Reserves in Surplus (Item 6.3)
ID:
A1333488
Report from Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant
|
Moved (Stolwerk/Macdonald)
1. That
the report ‘Interest Rate for Special Reserves in Surplus’ by Vincent
McColl, Financial Accountant and dated 29 June 2020, be received.
2. That
council approve the use of the 90-day bank bill rate plus 3% per annum to
calculate the interest attributable to special reserves with balances in
excess of $50,000, reset annually on 1 July starting from 1 July 2020.
Carried
|
National Environmental Standards - Air
Quality (Item 7.1)
ID:
A1335632
Report from Michael Payne, Policy Specialist
|
Moved (Yeoman/Macdonald)
1. That
the report ‘National Environmental Standards - Air Quality’ by Michael
Payne, Policy Specialist and dated 3 July 2020, be received.
2. That
council approve the draft submission attached, pertaining to Item 7.1 of the
21 July 2020 council agenda (subject to any amendments directed by council).
3. That
the Chief Executive Officer be authorised to make any necessary minor
drafting, typographical, rounding or presentation corrections and to sign the
submission on behalf of council prior to it being lodged with the Ministry
for the Environment.
Carried
|
Northland Regional
Pest and Marine Pathway Operational Plan 2020-2021 (Item 7.2)
ID:
A1336293
Report from Don McKenzie, Biosecurity Manager
|
This item was
withdrawn by the Chief Executive Officer (as per Standing Order 9.9) and
directed back to the Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party.
|
Northland Inc.
Limited: Statement of Intent 2020-2023 (Item
7.3)
ID:
A1337058
Report from Darryl Jones, Economist
|
Moved (Stolwerk/Bain)
1. That
the report ‘Northland Inc. Limited: Statement of Intent
2020-2023’ by Darryl Jones, Economist and dated 7 July 2020, be
received.
2. That
council agree to Northland Inc. Limited’s Statement of Intent 2020-2023
as set out in Attachment 3 pertaining to Item 7.3 of the 21 July 2020
council agenda.
Carried
|
Chair's Report to Council (Item 8.1)
ID:
A1332865
Report from Penny Smart, Chair
|
Moved (Smart/Yeoman)
That the report ‘Chair's
Report to Council’ by Penny Smart, Chair and dated 1 July 2020, be
received.
Carried
|
Chief
Executive’s Report to Council (Item 8.2)
ID:
A1334342
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 30 June 2020, be received.
Carried
|
Secretarial Note:
·
The GM Customer Services/Community Resilience provided an
update on the recent flood event, highlighting:
-
The intense and prolonged thunderstorm activity;
-
The highest return period statistics related to a one in one
hundred year event;
-
Rainfall intensities and totals were variable across Northland;
-
Civil defence centres had been set up in various locations to
assist those cast due to flooding;
-
There had been significant damage to roads with the Mangamuka Gorge
still closed;
-
The damaged Whangārei and Paihia/Waitangi water systems
were now ‘secure’ and ruptured sewage lines had been repaired;
-
The Ministers had visited Northland to assess the damage and a
small relief fund had been announced; and
-
The Kaitāia flood remediation works and Whangārei
detention dam had functioned well.
·
Council acknowledged the success of Enviroschools events; in
particular the recent Enviroschools Project Pest Controls Skills Course.
·
Appreciation was extended to the biodiversity team for their
‘extremely valuable work’ and ‘commendable progress’
with regards to dune lakes and lakes programmes.
|
Receipt of Committee Minutes (Item 9.0)
ID:
A1334990
Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
|
Moved (Craw/Macdonald)
That the unconfirmed minutes of
the:
· Investment
and Property Subcommittee – 27 May 2020; and
· Audit
and Risk Subcommittee – 24 June 2020
be received.
Carried
|
Business with Public
Excluded (Item 10.0)
Moved (Yeoman/Macdonald)
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
|
10.1
|
Confirmation
of Confidential Minutes - 16 June 2020
|
The public
conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of
information, as stated in the open section of the meeting.
|
10.2
|
Receipt of
Confidential Committee Minutes
|
The public
conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of
information, as stated in the open section of the meeting.
|
10.3
|
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).
|
3.
That the Independent Advisor be permitted to stay during business with
the public excluded.
Carried
|
Conclusion
The meeting concluded at 12.14pm.