Council Meeting

16 March 2021

Northland Regional Council Minutes

Meeting held in the Council Chamber

36 Water Street, Whangārei

on Tuesday 16 March 2021, commencing at 10.30am

Present:

Chairperson, Penny Smart

Councillors:

Terry Archer

Justin Blaikie

Jack Craw

Colin Kitchen (via audio-visual link)

Amy Macdonald

Marty Robinson

Rick Stolwerk

Joce Yeoman

In Attendance:

Full Meeting

Independent Audit & Risk Advisor

Independent Financial Advisor

Chief Executive Officer (via audio-visual link)

Deputy Chief Executive Officer/GM - Corporate Excellence

GM - Regulatory Services

GM – Environmental Services

Governance Support Manager

Part Meeting

GM - Customer Service - Community Resilience

Māori Relationships Manager (via audio-visual link)

Finance Manager

Financial Accountant

The Chair declared the meeting open at 10.34am and proceedings commenced with the Tauāki ā roto by full council.

Apologies (Ngā whakapahā) (Item 3.0)

There were no apologies.

Declarations of Conflicts of Interest (Nga whakapuakanga) (Item 4.0)

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

Confirmation of Minutes - 23 February 2021 (Item 5.1)

ID: A1418791

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager

Moved (Yeoman/Craw)

That the minutes of the council meeting held on 23 February 2021 be confirmed as a true and correct record.

Carried

Receipt of Action Sheet (Item 5.2)

ID: A1420214

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager

Moved (Yeoman/Stolwerk)

That the action sheet be received.

Carried

Financial Report to 28 February 2021 (Item 6.1)

ID: A1419886

Report from Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant

Moved (Craw/Stolwerk)

That the report ‘Financial Report to 28 February 2021’ by Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and dated 4 March 2021, be received.

Carried

Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party - Appointed Members' Allowances (Item 7.1)

ID: A1410638

Report from Auriole Ruka, Kaiwhakahaere Hononga Māori

Moved (Robinson/Macdonald)

1.         That the report ‘Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party - Appointed Members' Allowances’ by Auriole Ruka, Kaiwhakahaere Hononga Māori and dated 10 February 2021, be received.

2.         That council approves the following meetings, for the purposes of enabling payment of Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party (TTMAC) appointed members in accordance with council’s Appointed Members’ Allowances Policy:

a.      Three meetings for appointed members, held via Zoom, to discuss and provide advice and input on the issue of Māori constituencies (20 July 2020, 20 August 2020 and 3 December 2020),

b.     One meeting for two appointees sitting on the Tāngata Whenua Water Advisory Group Selection Panel (23 October and 26 November 2020), and

c.      Two meetings of the TTMAC Economic Development Sub-Group in March and April 2021.

3.         That council approval is given for the Group Manager, Strategy, Governance and Engagement to approve up to three additional meetings for 2021 for Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party (TTMAC) appointed members to respond to TTMAC’s strategic programme, for the purposes of enabling payment of TTMAC appointed members in accordance with council’s Appointed Members’ Allowance Policy.

Carried.

Vehicle Policy (Item 7.2)

ID: A1413176

Report from Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence

Moved (Craw/Yeoman)

1.         That the report ‘Vehicle Policy ’ by Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence and dated 17 February 2021, be received.

2.         That council delegates authority to the Chief Executive Officer to rescind the vehicle policy that was adopted in June 2012.

3.         That council confirms that the Chief Executive Officer has authority to draft, approve and implement a revised vehicle policy.

Carried

Debt Recovery Policy (Item 7.3)

ID: A1416707

Report from Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence

Moved (Stolwerk/Blaikie)

1.         That the report ‘Debt Recovery Policy’ by Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence and dated 24 February 2021, be received.

2.         That council adopt the attached Debt Recovery Policy pertaining to Item 6.3 in the 16 March 2021 council agenda.

3.         That council delegates the write-off of outstanding accounts receivable as follows:

a.         Less than $1,000 – CEO, Group Managers and Managers

b.        Between $1,000 and $5,000 – CEO and Group Managers

c.         Greater than $5,000 – CEO (with the write-off to be reported to the next council meeting)

Carried

Appointment of Regional Harbourmaster based in Whangārei/Marsden Point (Item 7.4)

ID: A1415844

Report from Jim Lyle, Regional Harbourmaster

Moved (Stolwerk/Yeoman)

1.         That the report ‘Appointment of Regional Harbourmaster based in Whangārei/Marsden Point’ by Jim Lyle, Regional Harbourmaster and dated 23 February 2021, be received.

2.         That council appoint Bruce Goodchild as Harbourmaster pursuant to section 33D of the Maritime Transport Act 1994.

Carried

Health and Safety Report (Item 8.1)

ID: A1416795

Report from Kelcie Mills, Health and Safety Advisor

Moved (Blaikie/Robinson)

That the report ‘Health and Safety Report’ by Kelcie Mills, Health and Safety Advisor and dated 25 February 2021, be received.

Carried

Chair's Report to Council (Item 8.2)

ID: A1416685

Report from Penny Smart, Chair

Moved (Smart/Yeoman)

That the report ‘Chair's Report to Council’ by Penny Smart, Chair and dated 26 February 2021, be received.

Carried

Chief Executive’s Report to Council (Item 8.3)

ID: A1416522

Report from Malcolm Nicolson, Chief Executive Officer

Moved (Stolwerk/Blaikie)

That the report ‘Chief Executive’s Report to Council’ by Malcolm Nicolson, Chief Executive Officer and dated 28 February 2021, be received.

Carried

Receipt of Committee Minutes (Item 9.1)

ID: A1419505

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager

Moved (Macdonald/Robinson)

That the unconfirmed minutes of the:

·        Regional Transport Committee – 10 February 2021;

·        Extraordinary Regional Transport Committee – 19 February 2021; and

·        Kaipara Moana Remediation Joint Committee – 22 February 2021

be received.

Carried

Secretarial Note:  The Chair of the Regional Transport Committee and the Deputy Chair of the Kaipara Moana Remediation Joint Committee provided a verbal update on current priorities and work programmes.

Working Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefings (Item 9.2)

ID: A1417533

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

Moved (Blaikie/Macdonald)

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

Carried

Secretarial Note:  The Chairs of the respective working parties provided a verbal update on the current priorities and work programmes for these subordinate bodies.

Business with Public Excluded (Item 10.0)

Moved (Macdonald/Robinson)

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 - 23 February 2021	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	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 Advisors be permitted to stay during business with the public excluded.

Carried

Conclusion

The meeting concluded at 11.51am.