17 November 2020
Northland Regional Council Minutes
Meeting held in the Council Chamber,
36 Water Street, Whangārei
on Tuesday 17 November 2020 ,
commencing at 10.30am
Present:
Chairperson, Penny Smart
Councillors:
Justin Blaikie
Jack Craw
Colin Kitchen
Amy Macdonald
Marty Robinson
Rick Stolwerk
Joce Yeoman
In Attendance:
Full Meeting
Chief Executive Officer
Independent Financial Advisor
Independent Audit & Risk
Advisor
GM - Corporate Excellence
GM – Regulatory Services
Governance Support Manager
Part Meeting
GM – Environmental Services
GM - Strategy, Governance and
Engagement
Biosecurity Manager
Strategic Projects and Facilities
Manager
Resource Management –
Strategic Policy Specialist
Policy Specialist – Water
Financial Accountant
The Chair declared the meeting open at 10.33am. Proceedings
commenced with a karakia by Councillor Stolwerk.
Apologies (Ngā
whakapahā) (Item 1.0)
There were no apologies.
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.
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Receipt of Supplementary Reports (Item 3.0A)
ID:
A1385841, A1385475
Report from Chris Taylor
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Moved
(Stolwerk/Macdonald)
That as permitted under section
46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 the
following supplementary reports be received:
·Supplementary Item 6.1: Treasury
Management Policy (with track changes); and
·
Supplementary Item 6.3: Request for approval of unbudgeted
expenditure to be funded from the COVID-19 Reinstatement Reserve.
Carried
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Confirmation of Minutes - 20 October 2020 (Item 4.1) and Receipt of Action Sheet (Item 4.2)
ID:
A1381776, A1381813
Reports from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
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Moved
(Kitchen/Yeoman)
1. That
the minutes of the council meeting held on 20 October 2020 be confirmed as a
true and correct record.
2. That
the action sheet be received.
Carried
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Financial Report to 31 October 2020 (Item 5.1)
ID:
A1382399
Report from Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant
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Moved (Blaikie/Stolwerk)
That the report ‘Financial
Report to 31 October 2020’ by Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and
dated 4 November 2020, be received.
Carried
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Secretarial Note: The Independent Financial Advisor
addressed the report; noting that while council could by no means afford to
be complacent, it was currently in a strong financial position and the
‘gloomy impacts of Covid’ had by and large not come to fruition.
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Amendments to Subcommittee and Working Party
Terms of Reference (Item 6.1 and Supplementary
Item 6.1)
ID:
A1379680, A1385841
Report from Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate
Excellence and Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
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Moved (Yeoman/Stolwerk)
1. That
the report ‘Amendments to Subcommittee and Working Party Terms of
Reference’ by Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence and
Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager and dated 27 October 2020, be
received.
2. That
the council changes the terms of reference of the Investment and Property and
Audit and Risk subcommittees to increase meeting quorum from four to five
members.
3. That
council add the Independent Risk Advisor as a member of the Investment and
Property subcommittee.
4. That
council add the Chair of the Investment and Property subcommittee as a member
of the Audit and Risk subcommittee, and alternate Councillor Craw of the
Investment and Property Subcommittee change to full time member of the
Investment and Property Subcommittee.
5. That
council add the delegation to Investment and Property subcommittee that
‘CEO to withdraw and invest funds held in term deposits being
self-managed cash reserves’.
6. That
council add the delegation to Investment and Property subcommittee that
‘Ensure there are no withdrawals from the Long Term
Fund without the approval of council, other than for operational funding from
gains made in the fund and as budgeted in accordance with the current Long
Term Plan or Annual Plan’.
7. That the Treasury Management Policy is updated, as per tracked
changes shown in Supplementary Item 6.1 pertaining to the 17 November 2020
council meeting agenda.
8. That the revised Planning and Regulatory, Water and Land,
Biosecurity and Biodiversity and Climate Change Working Party Terms of
Reference (as detailed in Attachment 2 pertaining to Item 6.1 of the
17 November 2020 council meeting agenda) be adopted.
Carried
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Secretarial Note: The Investment and Property Subcommittee
to review the controls in the Statement of Investment Policy and Objectives
to ensure they aligned with the Treasury Management Policy.
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Freshwater
Management/Te Mana o Te Wai - Tāngata Whenua Water Advisory Group
appointment of members (Item 6.2)
ID:
A1380347
Report from Alison Newell, Policy Specialist
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Moved (Yeoman/Blaikie)
1. That
the report ‘Freshwater Management/Te Mana o Te Wai - Tāngata
Whenua Water Advisory Group appointment of members’ by Alison Newell,
Policy Specialist and dated 28 October 2020, be received.
2. That
the membership of the Tāngata Whenua Water Advisory Group be increased
by three to a total of 15.
Carried
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Request for approval
of unbudgeted expenditure to be funded from the COVID-19 Reinstatement
Reserve (Item 6.3 and Supplementary Item 6.3)
ID:
A1380445, A1385475
Report from Carol Cottam, Information Services and
Technology Manager and Kathryn Lister, Biosecurity Officer - Marine
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Moved (Stolwerk/Kitchen)
1. That
the report ‘Request for approval of unbudgeted expenditure to be funded
from the COVID-19 Reinstatement Reserve ’ by Carol Cottam,
Information Services and Technology Manager and Kathryn Lister, Biosecurity
Officer - Marine and dated 28 October 2020, be received.
2. That
the $55,000 of unbudgeted expenditure from the
Covid-19 Reinstatement Reserve be allocated to support the hiring of a fixed
term Business Improvement Lead position.
3. That
the $98,000 of unbudgeted expenditure from the COVID-19 Reinstatement Reserve
be allocated to support the continued Sabella eradication efforts at
Ōpua.
Carried
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Northland Inc.
Limited: Request to not hold an AGM for the 2019/20 financial year (Item 6.4)
ID:
A1382077
Report from Darryl Jones, Economist
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Moved (Stolwerk/Blaikie)
1. That
the report ‘Northland Inc. Limited: Request to not hold an AGM for the
2019/20 financial year’ by Darryl Jones, Economist and dated 3 November
2020, be received.
2. That
council authorise the Chief Executive Officer to send a letter to Northland
Inc. Limited informing them that council, as the 100% shareholder of
Northland Inc., does not have any particular issues to discuss, comment on,
or ask questions about at the annual general meeting for 2020 in accordance
with Section 120 (5)(b) of the Companies Act 1993 and clause 13 of the
Northland Inc. Limited constitution.
3. That
the letter to Northland Inc. include a request to provide council with a list
of the engagement sessions that were held in lieu of not holding the annual
general meeting for 2020.
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An amendment was moved
(Craw/Robinson)
1. That
the report ‘Northland Inc. Limited: Request to not hold an AGM for the
2019/20 financial year’ by Darryl Jones, Economist and dated 3 November
2020, be received.
2. That
council authorise the Chief Executive Officer to send a letter to Northland
Inc. Limited informing them that council, as the 100% shareholder of Northland
Inc., does not have any particular issues to discuss, comment on, or ask
questions about at the annual general meeting for 2020 in accordance with
Section 120 (5)(b) of the Companies Act 1993 and clause 13 of the Northland
Inc. Limited constitution.
3. That
the letter to Northland Inc. include a request to provide council with a list
of the engagement sessions that were held in lieu of not holding the annual
general meeting for 2020 and express council’s expectation that
community engagement will occur.
The substantive motion
was carried
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Interim appointments
to address extraordinary vacancies (Item 6.5)
ID:
A1382171
Report from Darryl Jones, Economist and Chris Taylor,
Governance Support Manager
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Moved (Stolwerk/Blaikie)
1. That
the report ‘Interim appointments to address extraordinary
vacancies’ by Darryl Jones, Economist and Chris Taylor, Governance
Support Manager and dated 3 November 2020, be received.
2. That
the following interim appointments be confirmed:
a. That
Councillor Stolwerk be appointed the Chair and Councillor Blaikie be
appointed as the second council representative on the Regional Transport
Committee.
b. That
Councillor Blaikie be appointed as the third council member of the Whangarei
District Council/Northland Regional Council - Whangārei Public Transport
Working Party.
c. That
Councillor Stolwerk or Councillor Craw or Councillor Blaikie be appointed the
Chair of the Whangarei District Council/Northland Regional Council - Whangārei
Public Transport Working Party.
d. That
Councillor Smart be appointed the Chair of the Kaihū River Working
Group.
e. That
Councillor Blaikie be appointed to exercise council’s shareholder vote
at any shareholder meeting of Northland Inc. Limited.
f. That
Councillor Justin Blaikie be appointed as the second council representative
on the Regional Economic Development Service Delivery Working Party.
g. That
Councillor Blaikie be appointed as Chair of the Regional Economic Development
Service Delivery Working Party.
3. That
all the appointments be reviewed at a time still to be determined following
the swearing in of the new Whangārei Urban Constituency councillor.
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An amendment was moved
(Smart/Craw)
1. That
the report ‘Interim appointments to address extraordinary
vacancies’ by Darryl Jones, Economist and Chris Taylor, Governance
Support Manager and dated 3 November 2020, be received.
2. That
the following interim appointments be confirmed:
a. That
Councillor Stolwerk be appointed the Chair and Councillor Blaikie be
appointed as the second council representative on the Regional Transport
Committee.
b. That
Councillor Blaikie be appointed as the third council member of the Whangarei
District Council/Northland Regional Council - Whangārei Public Transport
Working Party.
c. That
Councillor Stolwerk be appointed the Chair of the Whangarei District
Council/Northland Regional Council - Whangārei Public Transport Working
Party.
d. That
Councillor Smart be appointed the Chair of the Kaihū River Working
Group.
e. That
Councillor Blaikie be appointed to exercise council’s shareholder vote
at any shareholder meeting of Northland Inc. Limited.
f. That
Councillor Justin Blaikie be appointed as the second council representative
on the Regional Economic Development Service Delivery Working Party.
g. That
Councillor Blaikie be appointed as Chair of the Regional Economic Development
Service Delivery Working Party.
3. That
all the appointments be reviewed at a time still to be determined following
the swearing in of the new Whangārei Urban Constituency councillor.
The substantive motion
was carried
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Secretarial Note: Appreciation was extended to
councillors for picking up the additional workload.
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Letter to Minister
Mahuta - Māori representation (Item 6.6)
ID:
A1383313
Report from Malcolm Nicolson, Chief Executive Officer
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Moved (Craw/Yeoman)
1. That
the report ‘Letter to Minister Mahuta - Māori
representation’ by Malcolm Nicolson, Chief Executive Officer and dated
6 November 2020, be received.
2. That
council approve the drafting of a letter to Minister Mahuta supporting
the commitment to amend the Local Electoral Act 2001 in relation to the
establishment of local government Māori wards.
3. That
the Chair is delegated authority to sign the letter to Minister Mahuta on
behalf of council.
Carried
(Councillor
Blaikie abstained from voting)
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Health and Safety Report (Item 7.1)
ID:
A1381980
Report from Kelcie Mills, Health and Safety Advisor
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Moved (Kitchen/Yeoman)
That the report ‘Health
and Safety Report’ by Kelcie Mills, Health and Safety Advisor and dated
3 November 2020, be received.
Carried
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Chair's Report to
Council (Item 7.2)
ID:
A1381278
Report from Penny Smart, Chair
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Moved (Smart/Stolwerk)
That the report ‘Chair's
Report to Council’ by Penny Smart, Chair and dated 2 November 2020, be
received.
Carried
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Chief
Executive’s Report to Council (Item 7.3)
ID:
A1379390
Report from Malcolm Nicolson, Chief Executive Officer
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Moved (Kitchen/Macdonald)
That the report ‘Chief
Executive’s Report to Council’ by Malcolm Nicolson, Chief
Executive Officer and dated 31 October 2020, be received.
Carried
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Secretarial
Note:
·
The cost of the underwater survey undertaken in the Bay of
Islands to be ascertained to understand whether it was a cost effective way
to gather data.
·
Concerns regarding the increase in fatal accidents in the
Far North to be raised with the Regional Transport Committee.
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Receipt of Committee Minutes (Item 8.1)
ID:
A1382324
Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
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Moved (Stolwerk/Blaikie)
That the unconfirmed minutes of
the:
· Civil
Defence Emergency Management Group – 8 September 2020
· Audit
and Risk Subcommittee – 6 October 2020
be received.
Carried
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Working Party Updates
and Chairpersons' Briefing (Item 8.2)
ID:
A1380973
Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
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Moved (Yeoman/Macdonald)
That the report ‘Working
Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefing’ be received.
Carried
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Secretarial
Note:
·
The Chairs of the respective working parties provided an
update on the current priorities and work programmes for these subordinate
bodies.
·
Condolences were extended to the friends and whanau of Te
Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party member, Rudy Taylor,
who had recently passed. Attention was drawn to ‘Rudy’s
huge contribution to Taitokerau’.
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Working Group Updates (Item 8.3)
ID:
A1382309
Report from Leah Porter, PA/Administrator Environmental
Services
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Moved (Stolwerk/Yeoman)
That the report ‘Working
Group Updates’ be received.
Carried
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Secretarial Note: Consideration to be given as to
whether council’s catchment groups required a review in light of the
raft of new water related legislation.
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Business with Public
Excluded (Item 9.0)
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Moved
(Smart/Stolwerk)
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:
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Item No.
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Item Issue
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Reasons/Grounds
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9.1
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Confirmation of Confidential Minutes - 19 May
2020
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The public conduct of the proceedings would
be likely to result in disclosure of information, as stated in the open
section of the meeting.
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9.2
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Human Resources Report
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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).
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9.3
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Land and Leaseholders' Easement and Covenant
Requests
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The public conduct of the proceedings would
be likely to result in disclosure of information, the withholding of which
is necessary to protect information where the making available of the
information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial
position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the
information s7(2)(b)(ii) and the withholding of which is necessary to
enable council to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial
activities s7(2)(h).
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9.4
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Kaipara Service Centre
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The public conduct of the proceedings would
be likely to result in disclosure of information, the withholding of which
is necessary to enable council to carry out, without prejudice or
disadvantage, commercial activities s7(2)(h) and the withholding of which
is necessary to enable council to carry on, without prejudice or
disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial
negotiations) s7(2)(i).
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3.
That the Independent Financial Advisors be permitted to stay during
business with the public excluded and Argyle Estates Limited Development
Manager be permitted to join business with the public excluded for Item 9.4
only.
Carried
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Conclusion
The meeting concluded at 12.45pm.