Council Meeting

16 November 2021

Northland Regional Council Minutes

 

Meeting held remotely

on Tuesday 16 November 2021, commencing at 10.30am

 

 

Tuhinga/Present:

Chairperson, Penny Smart

Councillors:

Terry Archer

Jack Craw

Colin Kitchen

Amy Macdonald

Marty Robinson

Rick Stolwerk

Joce Yeoman

 

I Tae Mai/In Attendance:

Full or Part Meeting

Independent Audit & Risk Advisor

Individual Financial Advisor

Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer

Pou Taumatua - GM Corporate Services

Pou Tiaki Taiao - GM Environmental Services

Pou Whakaritenga - GM Regulatory Services

                                                      Pou Manawhakahaere – GM Governance and Engagement

                                                      Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM – Community Resilience

Pou Tiaki Pūtaiao - GM – Biosecurity

Human Resources Manager

Financial Accountant

Biosecurity Manager – Marine

Economist

Economic Policy Advisor

Strategic Policy Specialist

Governance Specialist

 

The Chair declared the meeting open at 10.33am and commenced proceedings with a karakia.

Secretarial Note: Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions and the meeting being conducted fully remotely, proceedings were livestreamed in order to be open to the public.

Ngā whakapahā/Apologies (Item 1.0)

 

Moved (Macdonald/Robinson)

That the apology from Councillor Blaikie for non-attendance be received.

Carried

 

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

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

 

Confirmation of Minutes - Council Meeting 19 October 2021 (Item 5.1)

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist

Moved (Craw/Stolwerk)

That the minutes of the council meeting held on 19 October 2021, be confirmed as a true and correct record.

Carried

 

Receipt of Action Sheet (Item 5.2)

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist

Moved (Robinson/Yeoman)

That the action sheet be received.

Carried

 

Financial Report to 31 October 2021 (Item 6.1)

Report from Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant

Moved (Stolwerk/Kitchen)

That the report ‘Financial Report to 31 October 2021’ by Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and dated 3 November 2021, be received.

Carried

 

Secretarial Note:  It was acknowledged that Covid-19 was impacting on council's operational capacity resulting in lower expenditure than planned and the volatility in the markets was depressing  revenue, which was likely to continue for some time.

 

Regional Rates Collection - update to September 2021 (Item 6.2)

Report from Simon Crabb, Finance Manager

Moved (Stolwerk/Macdonald)

That the report ‘Regional Rates Collection - update to September 2021’ by Simon Crabb, Finance Manager and dated 27 October 2021, be received.

Carried

 

 

 

 

Annual Report on the Biosecurity Operational Plan (Item 7.1)

Report from Don McKenzie, Pou Tiaki Pūtaiao - GM Biosecurity

Moved (Craw/Robinson)

1.         That the report ‘Annual Report on the Biosecurity Operational Plan” by Don McKenzie, Group Manager Biosecurity- Pou Tiaki Pūtaiao and dated 2 November 2021, be received.

2.         That council adopts the Biosecurity Annual Report as the record of actions undertaken during the 2020-2021 year and in accordance with the objectives of the Pest Management and Marine Pathway Management Plan 2017-2027.

3.         That the Biosecurity Group Manager be delegated authority to make any minor design, editing, grammatical or accuracy amendments, prior to the Annual Report being published.

Carried

 

Secretarial Note:  The Biosecurity Team was acknowledged for the Annual Report and its ‘spectacular’ performance given the challenging year.

 

Clean Hull Plan - Update to a National Pathway Management Plan (Item 7.2)

Report from Kathryn Lister, Biosecurity Manager Marine

Moved (Stolwerk/Craw)

1.         That the report ‘Clean Hull Plan - Update to a National Pathway Management Plan’ by Kathryn Lister, Biosecurity Manager Marine and dated 1 November 2021, be received.

2.         That council endorses staff to continue to develop the Clean Hull Plan as a National Pathway Management Plan under the Biosecurity Act 1993.

Carried

 

Secretarial Note:  Appreciation was extended to staff for demonstrating national leadership in the development of the Pathway Management Plan.

 

Hundertwasser Art Centre: Revoking a condition of funding to appoint a council representative to the governance group (Item 7.3)

Report from Darryl Jones, Economist and Emmanouela Galanou, Economic Policy Advisor

Moved (Robinson/Macdonald)

1.         That the report ‘Hundertwasser Art Centre: Revoking a condition of funding to appoint a council representative to the governance group’ by Darryl Jones, Economist and Emmanouela Galanou, Economic Policy Advisor and dated 2 November 2021, be received.

2.         That condition (v), relating to the appointment of a Northland Regional Council representative to the independent board operating the Hundertwasser Art Centre (HAC), associated with the decision to provide up to $1.5 million (excl GST) in funding for the HAC made at the council meeting on 21 February 2017, is revoked.

Carried

 

Draft NRC submission - Emissions reduction discussion document (Item 7.4)

Report from Justin Murfitt, Strategic Policy Specialist

Moved (Macdonald/Kitchen)

1.         That the report ‘Draft NRC submission - Emissions reduction discussion document’ by Justin Murfitt, Strategic Policy Specialist and dated 3 November 2021, be received.

2.         That feedback on the draft submission from non-elected TTMAC members be considered in further development of the draft submission.

3.         That council approves the submission to be lodged with the Ministry for the Environment.

4.         That the Pou Tiaki Taiao – Group Manager Environmental Services be authorised to make any minor amendments for the purposes of readability or grammar prior to it being lodged.

 

An amendment was moved (Robinson/Kitchen)

1.         That the report ‘Draft NRC submission - Emissions reduction discussion document’ by Justin Murfitt, Strategic Policy Specialist and dated 3 November 2021, be received.

2.         That feedback on the draft submission from non-elected TTMAC members be considered in further development of the draft submission.

3.         That council endorse the submission (as tabled), and that Chair Smart and Cr Macdonald be authorised to make further amendments and approve the final submission to be lodged with the Ministry for the Environment.

4.         That the Pou Tiaki Taiao – Group Manager Environmental Services be authorised to make any minor amendments for the purposes of readability or grammar prior to it being lodged.

Carried

The substantive motion, being the amendment to the original motion, was then put and carried.

 

Health and safety report (Item 8.1)

Report from Kelcie Mills, Health and Safety Advisor

Moved (Kitchen/Stolwerk)

That the report ‘Health and safety report’ by Kelcie Mills, Health and Safety Advisor and dated 28 October 2021, be received.

Carried

 

Chair's Report to Council (Item 8.2)

Report from Penny Smart, Chair

Moved (Smart/Macdonald)

That the report ‘Chair's Report to Council’ by Penny Smart, Chair and dated 5 November 2021, be received.

Carried

 

Chief Executive’s Report to Council (Item 8.3)

Report from Malcolm Nicolson, Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer

Moved (Yeoman/Macdonald)

That the report ‘Chief Executive’s Report to Council’ by Malcolm Nicolson, Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer and dated 31 October 2021, be received.

Carried

 

Secretarial Note: 

·        Compliments were extended to the newly appointed Group Managers and Deputy Group Managers.

·        Appreciation was extended to the maritime team in their preparedness for what would be a busy summer period.

·        Staff undertook to keep the Chair of the Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party abreast of progress accessing property in order to undertake deer eradication.

 

Receipt of Committee Minutes (Item 9.1)

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist

Moved (Stolwerk/Kitchen)

That the unconfirmed minutes of the:

·        Civil Defence Emergency Management Group meeting – 8 September 2021

·        Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe Board meeting – 15 October 2021.

be received.

Carried

 

 

Secretarial Note:

·        The Chairs of the committees provided a verbal update on key priorities and workstreams.

·        Appreciation was extended to the previous GM – Customer Services/Community Resilience, Tony Phipps, for his long service to Civil Defence Emergency Management.

 

Working Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefings (Item 9.2)

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

Moved (Craw/Macdonald)

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

Carried

 

Secretarial Note:  The Chair of the Biodiversity and Biosecurity Working Party provided a verbal update on key work programmes.

 

 

Kaupapa ā Roto/Business with Public Excluded (Item 10.0)

Moved (Smart/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 - Council Meeting 19 October 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

 

Whakamutunga (Conclusion)

The meeting concluded at 11.26am.