Council Meeting

24 May 2022

Northland Regional Council Minutes

 

Meeting held in the Council Chamber

36 Water Street, Whangārei

on Tuesday 24 May 2022, commencing at 10.30am

 

 

Tuhinga/Present:

Chairperson, Penny Smart

Councillors:

Terry Archer (via audio-visual link)

Justin Blaikie

Jack Craw (via audio-visual link)

Colin Kitchen (via audio-visual link)

Amy Macdonald (via audio-visual link)

Marty Robinson

Rick Stolwerk

Joce Yeoman

 

I Tae Mai/In Attendance:

Full Meeting

Independent Financial Advisor (via audio-visual link)

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

Governance Specialist

Part Meeting

Pou Tiaki Pūtaiao – GM Biosecurity (via audio-visual link)

Human Resources Manager

Economist

Economic Policy Advisor

Policy Specialist

 

 

Secretarial Note: The Chair declared the meeting open at 10.33am and proceedings commenced with the Tauāki ā roto by full council.

Ngā whakapahā/Apologies (Item 3.0)

There were no apologies.

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

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

 

Confirmation of Minutes - Council Meeting 26 April 2022 (Item 5.1)

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist

Moved (Stolwerk/Yeoman)

That the minutes of the council meeting held on 26 April 2022 be confirmed as a true and correct record.

Carried

 

Financial Report to 30 April 2022 (Item 6.1)

Report from Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and Taka Skipwith, Financial Accountant

Moved (Stolwerk/Robinson)

That the report ‘Financial Report to 30 April 2022’ by Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and Taka Skipwith, Financial Accountant and dated 9 May 2022, be received.

Carried

 

Secretarial Note:  The returns on the managed investment funds had been received after the collation of the agenda, which during the month of April had incurred a loss of $385k.  With this adjustment, in the ten months of the financial year council had incurred a $281k loss which reduced the YTD surplus after transfers to and from reserves from $6.96m to $6.61m.  This remained $1.1m better than budget and therefore there had been no need to draw from the OPEX Reserve at this time.

 

Regional Rates Collection - update to 31 March 2022 (Item 6.2)

Report from Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant

Moved (Stolwerk/Yeoman)

That the report ‘Regional Rates Collection - update to 31 March 2022’ by Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and dated 5 May 2022, be received.

Carried

 

Regional Projects Reserve: Criteria and procedures for the allocation of funding (Item 7.1)

Report from Darryl Jones, Economist and Simon Crabb, Finance Manager

Moved (Yeoman/Stolwerk)

1.         That the report ‘Regional Projects Reserve: Criteria and procedures for the allocation of funding’ by Economist and Finance Manager and dated 7 April 2022, be received.

2.         That council agrees to adopt the Criteria and procedures for the allocation of funding from the Regional Projects Reserve contained in Attachment One (pertaining to Item 7.1 of the 24 May 2022 council agenda). 

Carried

 

Fund Manager Withdrawal (Item 7.2)

Report from Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services

Moved (Robinson/Kitchen)

1.         That the report ‘Fund Manager Withdrawal ’ by Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services and dated 6 May 2022, be received.

2.         That council approves withdrawing $1 million from the Harbour T.Rowe Price Global Equity fund and investing in self-managed cash (Term Deposits) to be held in the Long Term Fund maturing in September 2022.

Carried

 

Regional Software Holdings Limited - Reporting and 2023-2025 Statement of Intent (Item 7.3)

Report from Carol Cottam, Information Services and Technology Manager

Moved (Blaikie/Yeoman)

1.         That the ‘Regional Software Holding Limited – Reporting and 2023-2025 Statement of Intent’ by Carol Cottam, Information Services and Technology Manager and dated 13 May 2022, be received.

2.         That council receive the Regional Software Holdings Limited’s Statement of Intent 2023-2025.

Carried

 

Secretarial Note:  Councillors to provide feedback on the response to Regional Software Holding Limited’s Statement of Intent prior to being lodged.

 

Poplar and Willow Nursery Expansion (Item 7.4)

Report from Ruben Wylie, Land Management Programme Manager

Moved (Blaikie/Craw)

1.         That the report ‘Poplar and Willow Nursery Expansion ’ by Ruben Wylie, Land Management Programme Manager and dated 4 May 2022, be received.

2.         That the capital budgets for the nursery expansion are retimed by:

a.        allocating $200,000 in the 2022-2023 financial year to develop the existing poplar and willow nursery;

b.        allocating the remainder of the capital budget to the 2023-2024 financial year to enable expansion of the existing nursery through the purchase of nearby land and associated site development.

3.         That council acknowledges the poplar pole production targets:

a)    contained within the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan will not be achieved;

b)    for the current site will be 7000 poles per annum (following further site optimisation investment); and

c)    need to be reassessed following the purchase/acquisition of additional land to support nursery expansion.

4.         That staff report back to council by March 2023 to provide an update on capital progress with nursery upgrades and further enquiries into potential land acquisition.

Carried

 

Chair's Report to Council (Item 8.1)

Report from Penny Smart, Chair

Moved (Smart/Yeoman)

That the report ‘Chair's Report to Council’ by Penny Smart, Chair and dated 11 May 2022, be received.

Carried

 

Chief Executive’s Report to Council (Item 8.2)

Report from Malcolm Nicolson, Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer

Moved (Craw/Macdonald)

That the report ‘Chief Executive’s Report to Council’ by Malcolm Nicolson, Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer and dated 2 May 2022, be received.

Carried

 

Secretarial Note: 

·        Appreciation was extended to the Chief Executive Officer and staff for the ‘comprehensive report’.

·        The Regional Transport Committee to consider an anti-littering strategy through schools.

 

Reporting on Long Term Plan 2021-2031 performance measures for quarter three of the 2021/22 year (Item 8.3)

Report from Robyn Broadhurst, Policy Specialist

Moved (Craw/Yeoman)

That the report ‘Reporting on Long Term Plan 2021-2031 performance measures for quarter three of the 2021/22 year’ by Robyn Broadhurst, Policy Specialist and dated 26 April 2022, be received.

Carried

 

Receipt of Committee Minutes (Item 9.1)

Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist

Moved (Yeoman/Stolwerk)

That the unconfirmed minutes of the:

·        Kaipara Moana Remediation Joint Committee – 11 April 2022

·        Joint Regional Economic Development Committee – 29 April 2022

be received.

Carried

Secretarial Note:  Representatives from the committees provided a verbal update on priorities and key workstreams.

 

Working Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefings (Item 9.2)

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

Moved (Stolwerk/Yeoman)

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

Carried

 

Secretarial Note: The Chair of each working party provided a verbal update.

 

Taumarere Flood Management Working Group Update (Item 9.3)

Report from Erica Wade, Personal Assistant - Environmental Services

Moved (Blaikie/Yeoman)

That the report ‘Taumarere Flood Management Working Group Update’ be received.

Carried

 

Secretarial Note:  Appreciation was extended to the Rivers and Natural Hazards Team for the work undertaken in the  Taumarere catchment which had ‘galvanised the community’.

 

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

Moved (Robinson/Blaikie)

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 26 April 2022

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 Committee CONFIDENTIAL 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.

 

3.            That the Independent Financial Advisor be permitted to stay during business with the public excluded.

 

Whakamutunga (Conclusion)

The meeting concluded at 12.09pm.