Planning
and Regulatory Working Party
28 October 2020
Planning and Regulatory
Working Party Record of Actions
Remote meeting held via audio-visual
link
on Wednesday 28 October 2020,
commencing at 9.30am
Present:
Chairperson, Joce Yeoman
Councillors:
Justin
Blaikie (from approximately 9.45am)
Amy
Macdonald
Colin
Kitchen
Penny
Smart (Ex-Officio)
Te Taitokerau Māori and
Council Working Party (TTMAC) Representatives:
Mira
Norris
Juliane
Chetham (left at 10.34am)
Rowan
Tautari
In Attendance:
Full Meeting
GM - Strategy, Governance and
Engagement
GM – Regulatory Services
Strategic Policy Specialist
Compliance Monitoring Manager
Governance Support Manager (secretariat support)
Part Meeting
Policy Specialist (x2)
The meeting commenced at 9.33am and proceedings commenced
with a karakia by the Chair.
Apologies (Item 1.0)
The (standing)
apology from TTMAC representative, Pita Tipene, was noted.
Declarations
of Conflicts of Interest (Ngā whakapuakanga) (Item 2.0)
The Chair noted that any declarations of conflict of
interest would be taken item by item.
Record of Actions (Item 4.1)
|
The record of actions of the
meeting held on 26 August 2020 was noted.
|
Planning and Policy
Work Programme (Item 4.2)
|
Presented by: GM
– Strategy Governance and Engagement, Ben Lee
|
Key matters arising from Item 4.2:
·
The Te Oneroa-aTohe Beach Management Plan was likely to be
approved in November with a number of actions involving changes to the
Regional Plan. Given the actions were ‘tightly knit’ and
consultation had already been undertaken on the Beach Management Plan, the
plan change may be able to be progressed quickly.
·
It was unclear at this time whether a plan change would be
required to address additional sites of significance to tangata whenua and if
so whether it could ‘piggy-back’ on other water related plan
changes.
·
There was still uncertainty regarding the cost to complete the
freshwater plan change.
·
The Ministry for the Environment was yet to confirm whether Northland
data would be used for a pilot wetland mapping project.
·
It was not recommended to undertake a wholesale review of the
Regional Plan until it had been operative for a sufficient time to be
‘tested’. Legislatively it was required to be reviewed after
five years.
·
Any plan change would be discussed with TTMAC in the first
instance to ‘test thinking and seek advice on the best way to
consult’.
|
Regulatory Services
Update (Item 4.3)
|
Presented by: GM - Regulatory
Services, Colin Dall
|
Key matters arising from Item 4.3:
·
A link to the decision made by the Expert Consenting Panel on
the Matawii water storage reservoir application (a fast track listed project)
to be forwarded to members.
|
Regional Plan Update (Item 4.4)
|
Presented by: GM
– Strategy, Governance and Engagement, Ben Lee
|
Key matters arising from Item 4.4:
·
A question had been raised during hearings whether by
definition wetlands involved the Coastal Marine Area and mangroves; the
outcome of which was of high national interest given the potential
implications.
|
Freshwater Management
Plan Change Update (Item 4.5)
|
Presented by: GM
– Strategy, Governance and Engagement, Ben Lee
|
Key matters arising from Item 4.5:
·
The most significant challenge to implementing the National
Policy Statement on Freshwater Management was giving effect to Te Mana o Te
Wai; which was a ‘fundamental change to how we view water’.
·
The membership of the Tāngata Whenua Water Advisory Group,
set up by NRC, was intentionally different from the Wai group set up by the
iwi leaders as they had a very different focus. The members of the
Tangata Whenua Water Advisory Group had also been appointed based on their
specific individual expertise to ensure a diverse and robust discussion.
Further advisory groups would be established, for example a Primary Sector
Group.
·
Given that NRC would be one of the first councils progressing a
water plan change there would be a high degree of interest. On this
basis, a draft proposed plan change would be prepared to assist upfront
engagement and to reduce appeals.
·
Council had approved three TTMAC members attending all council
workshops on the content of the plan change that gave effect to the water
quality planning requirements of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater
Management. However, TTMAC had directed council to draw on the advice
of the Tāngata Whenua Water Advisory Group in terms of engagement; hence
the three TTMAC members did not need to be involved in signing off the
project and engagement plan.
Agreed
action points:
·
Applicants for the Tangata Whenua Water Advisory Group to be
advised that the formation of the group was being delayed due to the
procedural requirement for council to approve increasing membership from 12
to 15.
·
The completed project and engagement plan to be taken to full
council (given it was a significant piece of work). In the first
instance it was expected council would engage at a regional level.
However, it may be appropriate to do ‘deep dives in specific
catchments’ or on particular topics.
·
The ‘picture of hot spots in Northland’, based on
how current water state aligned with the government’s bands, to be
brought back to the Working Party when complete.
|
Efficient Use of
Water - Mechanisms for Council (Item 4.6)
|
Presented by: Strategic
Policy Specialist, Justin Murfitt
|
Key matters arising from Item 4.6:
·
The water quantity provisions of the Regional Plan were
currently under review so the ‘landscape’ could change.
|
Reducing the Impact
of Plastic on our Environment (Item 4.7)
|
Agreed action points:
·
Consideration to be given to the submission supporting the
phasing out of disposable coffee cups and single use plastics.
·
Advice to be sought from the Comms team whether it was
appropriate for NRC’s social media to notify the opportunity for the
public to submit .
·
The final submission to be forwarded to the Chair of the
Working Party prior to being lodged.
|
Conclusion
The meeting concluded at 11.07am.