Council

Tuesday 23 August 2022 at 10.30am

 

 

AGENDA

 


Council Meeting

23 August 2022

Northland Regional Council Agenda

 

Meeting to be held in the Council Chamber

36 Water Street, Whangārei

on Tuesday 23 August 2022, commencing at 10.30am

 

Recommendations contained in the council agenda are NOT council decisions. Please refer to council minutes for resolutions.

 

RĪMITI (Item)                                                                                                                                                                 Page

1.0       Ngā Mahi Whakapai (Housekeeping)

Key Health and Safety points to note:

·         If the fire alarm goes off – exit down the stairwell to the assembly point which is the visitor carpark.

·         Earthquakes – drop, cover and hold

·         Visitors please make sure you have signed in at reception, and that you sign out when you leave. Please wear your name sticker.

·         The toilets are on the opposite side of the stairwell.

·         Please adhere to the recommended Covid alert guidance that applies.

2.0       Karakia Timatanga – Tauāki ā roto (Opening karakia)

3.0       Ngā Whakapahā (apologies)

4.0       Ngā Whakapuakanga (DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)

5.0       Ngā Whakaae Miniti me te Mahere Mahi (Council Minutes and Action Sheet)

5.1       Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.                                                                                                                                                                           6

5.2       Receipt of Action Sheet                                                                                                                          17

6.0       Ngā Ripoata Putea (Financial Reports)

6.1       Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves                           19

6.2       Request for Approval to Carry Forward Operational Budget from the 2021/22 Financial Year into the 2022/23 Financial Year                                                                                                                    58

6.3       Request for Approval to Carry Forward Capital Expenditure Budget from the 2021/22 Financial Year into the 2022/23 Financial Year                                                                                                           64

6.4       Draft Financial Result to 30 June 2022                                                                                              70

6.5       Special Reserves at 30 June 2022                                                                                                        77

6.6       Regional Rates Collection 2021/22                                                                                                     88

7.0       Ngā Take (Decision Making Matters)

7.1       Consideration and adoption of the policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts                                          92

7.2       Regional Software Holdings Limited Board Appointments                                                        98

7.3       Otiria-Moerewa Flood Mitigation Spillway and Bridge for 1.5M Funding Shortfall       100

8.0       Ngā Ripoata Mahi (Operational Reports)

8.1       Chair's Report to Council                                                                                                                     105

8.2       Chief Executive’s Report to Council                                                                                                 106

8.3       Reporting on Long Term Plan 2021-2031 Performance Measures for the year ended 30 June 2022                                                                                                                                                                       141

8.4       Legislative Compliance 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2022                                                          147

9.0       Receipt of Committee Minutes and Working Party/Group Updates

9.1       Receipt of Committee Minutes                                                                                                          150

9.2       Working Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefings                                                                 160

10.0    Kaupapa ā Roto (Business with the Public Excluded)                                                           162

10.1    Confirmation of Confidential Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Confidential Council Minutes 3 August 2022.

10.2    Receipt of Confidential Committee Minutes

10.3    Human Resources Report - July 2022

10.4    Regional Projects Reserve: Investment proposal for Marsden Maritime Holdings   


 

ACC - Accident Compensation Corporation

ALGIM - Association of Local Government Information Management

AMA - Aquaculture Management Area

AMP - Asset Management Plan/Activity Management Plan

AP - Annual Plan

BOI - Bay of Islands

BOPRC - Bay of Plenty Regional Council

CAPEX - Capital Expenditure (budget to purchase assets)

CBEC - Community, Business and Environment Centre

CCO – Council Controlled Organisation

CCTO – Council Controlled Trading Organisation

CDEM - Civil Defence Emergency Management

CEEF – Chief Executives Environment Forum

CEG - Co-ordinating Executive Group

CEO - Chief Executive Officer

CIMS - Co-ordinated Incident Management System (emergency management structure)

CMA - Coastal Marine Area

CPCA - Community Pest Control Areas

CRI - Crown Research Institute

DHB - District Health Board 

DOC - Department of Conservation

DP – District Plan

E350 – Extension 350 programme

ECA - Environmental Curriculum Award

ECAN - Environment Canterbury

EECA - Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority

EF - Environment Fund

EMA - Employers and Manufacturers Association

EOC - Emergency Operations Centre

EPA - Environmental Protection Authority

ETS - Emissions Trading Scheme

FDE - Farm Dairy Effluent

FNDC - Far North District Council

FNHL - Far North Holdings Limited

FPP - First Past the Post

GE - Genetic Engineering

GIS - Geographic Information System

GMO - Genetically Modified Organism

HBRC - Hawke's Bay Regional Council

HEMP - Hapū Environmental Management Plan

Horizons - Brand name of Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council

HR - Human Resources

HSNO - Hazardous Substances & New Organisms Act 

HSWA - Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

IEMP - Iwi Environmental Management Plan

ILGACE - Iwi and Local Government Chief Executives Forum

IPPC - Invited Private Plan Change

IRIS - Integrated Regional Information System

KDC - Kaipara District Council 

KPI - Key Performance Indicator

LAWA – Land, Air, Water Aotearoa

LEA - Local Electoral Act 2001

LGA - Local Government Act 2002

LGNZ - Local Government New Zealand

LGOIMA - Local Government Official Information & Meetings Act 1987

LIDAR – Light detection and ranging

LTI – Long time injury

LTP - Long Term Plan

MBIE – Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

MFE - Ministry for the Environment

MFL – Māori Freehold Land 

MHWS - Mean High Water Springs

MMH - Marsden Maritime Holdings Limited

MNZ - Maritime New Zealand

MOH - Ministry of Health

MOT - Ministry of Transport

MPI - Ministry for Primary Industries

MSD - Ministry of Social Development

NCMC - National Crisis Management Centre

NDHB - Northland District Health Board

NEMA – National Emergency Management Agency

NES - National Environmental Standards

NFT – Northland Forward Together

NGO - Non-Governmental Organisation

NIF - Northland Intersectoral Forum

NINC - Northland Inc. Limited

NIWA - National Institute of Water and Atmosphere

NORTEG - Northland Technical Advisory Group

NPS - National Policy Statement

NZCPS - New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement

NZRC - New Zealand Refining Company (Marsden Point)

NZTA – Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency

NZTE - New Zealand Trade and Enterprise

NZWWA - New Zealand Water and Wastes Association

OFI - Opportunity for Improvement\

OPEX – Operating Expenditures

OSH - Occupational Safety & Health

OTS – Office of Treaty Settlements

PCBU - Person Conducting Business or Undertaking

PGF – Provincial Growth Fund

PPE - Personal Protective Equipment

RAP - Response Action Plan

RBI - Regional Broadband Initiative

RCP - Regional Coastal Plan

RFI - Request for Information

RFP - Request for Proposal

RLTP - Regional Land Transport Plan

RMA - Resource Management Act 1991

RMG - Resource Managers Group (Regional Councils)

RMZ - Riparian Management Zone

ROI - Return on Investment

RP – Regional Plan

RPMP - Regional Pest Management Plan

RPMS - Regional Pest Management Strategy

RPS - Regional Policy Statement

RPTP – Regional Public Transport Plan

RRSAP – Regional Road Safety Action Plan

RSG – Regional Sector Group

RSHL - Regional Software Holdings Ltd

RTC - Regional Transport Committee

RTO - Regional Tourism Organisation

SIG – Special Interest Group

SIPO - Statement of Investment Policy and Objectives

SITREP - Situation Report

SOE - State of Environment (or) State Owned Enterprise

SOI – Statement of Intent

SOLGM - Society of Local Government Managers

STV - Single Transferable Vote

TAG - Technical Advisory Group

Tier 1 - Site level plan or response for an oil spill

Tier 2 - Regional level plan or response to an oil spill

Tier 3 - National level plan or response to an oil spill

TLA - Territorial Local Authority – City & District Councils

TON – Top of the North (regions)

TTMAC – Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party

TTNEAP – Tai Tokerau Northland Economic Action Plan

TMP - Treasury Management Plan

TOR - Terms of Reference

TPK - Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Maori Development)

TUANZ - Telecommunications Users Association of NZ

UNISA - Upper North Island Strategic Alliance

WDC - Whangarei District Council

WHHIF - Whangarei Harbour Health Improvement Fund

WRC - Waikato Regional Council

WSMP - Workplace Safety Management Practices

 

 

 



Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 5.1

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

From:

Meloney Tupou, Maori Governance and Engagement Support Admin

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Meloney Tupou, Maori Governance and Engagement Support Admin, on 18 August 2022

 

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the minutes of the council meeting held on 26 July 2022 and the extraordinary council meeting held on 3 August 2022 be confirmed as a true and correct record.

 

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: Northland Regional Council Minutes 26 July 2022.

Attachment 2: Extraordinary Council Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.   


Council Meeting  ITEM: 5.1

23 August 2022Attachment 1

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Attachment: Northland Regional Council Minutes 26 July 2022.

Page: 1


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Attachment: Northland Regional Council Minutes 26 July 2022.

Page: 2


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Attachment: Northland Regional Council Minutes 26 July 2022.

Page: 3


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Attachment: Northland Regional Council Minutes 26 July 2022.

Page: 4


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Attachment: Northland Regional Council Minutes 26 July 2022.

Page: 5


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Attachment: Northland Regional Council Minutes 26 July 2022.

Page: 6


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Attachment: Northland Regional Council Minutes 26 July 2022.

Page: 7


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Attachment: Northland Regional Council Minutes 26 July 2022.

Page: 8


Council Meeting  ITEM: 5.1

23 August 2022Attachment 2

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Attachment: Extraordinary Council Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Page: 1


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Confirmation of Council Minutes 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Attachment: Extraordinary Council Meeting Minutes 3 August 2022.

Page: 2


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 5.2

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Receipt of Action Sheet

From:

Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist, on 18 August 2022

 

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

The purpose of this report is to enable the meeting to receive the current action sheet.

 

Nga mahi tutohutia / Recommendation

That the action sheet be received.

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: Council Action Sheet - August 2022   


Council Meeting  ITEM: 5.2

23 August 2022Attachment 1

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Receipt of Action Sheet

Attachment: Council Action Sheet - August 2022

Page: 1


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                                    item: 6.1

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

From:

Simon Crabb, Finance Manager

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 

 

Executive summary/Whakarāpopototanga

Councils Long Term and Short-Term Investment Funds experienced negative returns for 2021/22 as rising inflation and rising interest rates weakened investor confidence and created extreme volatility in local and global financial markets. Despite experiencing negative annual returns, the Opex reserve was not utilised in 2021/22 and the majority of the managed fund losses are unrealised to date.

 

Further detail on the performance of both Investment Funds and the individual fund manager performances are provided in the EriksensGlobal report presented in Attachment 1.

 

Table One presents the portfolio losses encountered in 2021/22 alongside the accumulated gains and accumulated capital reinvestments that have been generated over the past 3 and 5 years inclusive of the 2021/22 year.

 

· Total portfolio Losses encountered in 2021/22 was ($2,791,511)

· Including the 2021/22 losses, the portfolio has generated gains of $8,615,087 over the past 3 years

· Including the 2021/22 losses, $2,856,038 has been added to portfolio balance over the past 3 years

· Including the 2021/22 losses, $5,755,012 has been added to portfolio balance over the past 5 years

· The Working Capital portion of the 2021/22 losses is recognised as an expense in the 2021/22 Surplus.

 

 

During the 2021/22 year $1,439,389 of Targeted River Rates earmarked to repay debt was collected, and $212,911 of depreciation earmarked to fund river scheme capex renewals was also collected. It is proposed both of these amounts are transferred into the Long-Term Fund in line with an investment recommendation from EriksensGlobal.

 

 

Recommendation(s)

1.         That the report ‘Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves’ by Simon Crabb, Finance Manager and dated 1 August 2022, be received.

2.         That $1,439,389 of targeted river scheme rates collected in 2021/22 for future debt repayment, and $212,911 of depreciation funding collected in 2021/22 are withdrawn from the Short-term investment fund and invested into the Long-Term Investment Fund in line with a EriksensGlobal recommendation.

 

Options

 

No.

Option

Advantages

Disadvantages

1

Transfer surplus river scheme rates and depreciation to the Long-term investment fund to maximise returns over the long term until loan repayments fall due or depreciation funding is required to pay for renewal capital expenditure.

Maximise returns over the long term until loan repayments fall due or depreciation funding is required to pay for renewal capital expenditure.

Separate funding earmarked for a specific purpose (e.g., repaying debt) from the general nature of the Working Capital portion of the Short-Term Fund.

The Long-term fund has a higher level of exposure to risk with a negative return in any year set at 1 in 7.  (However, it should be noted that the next tranche of debt is due for repayment in 2032)

2

Do not transfer the surplus river scheme rates and depreciation into the Long-Term fund, but instead hold them in the Short-Term Fund or term deposits.

Lower risk as NZ Bank Term deposits are almost risk free, and the risk tolerance of the STF is set as the chance of a negative return occurring being 1 year in 20.

Lower returns

Any depreciation funding held for an extended period of time in Term deposits or the STF may be at risk of becoming eroded by inflation as the returns (and recapitalised value) do not keep up with the rising costs of construction.

Not in line with the purpose of the Short-term investment fund - that is to hold the known funding requirement for the next 12 months.

 

The staff’s recommended option is 1 due to the long-term nature of the funds collected.

Considerations

1.         Environmental Impact

Being a purely administrative matter, any decisions arising from this report will not have any environmental impact or environmental implications.

2.         Financial implications

The majority of the managed fund losses are unrealised to date and except for the loss associated with the Working capital portion of the Short-term fund are excluded (byway of a transfer from the corresponding reserve) from the year end operating result reported to council.

3.         Significance and engagement

In relation to section 79 of the Local Government Act 2002, this decision is considered to be of low significance because it is part of council’s day-to-day activities and is in accordance with the approved Treasury Management Policy.

4.         Policy, risk management and legislative compliance

The activities detailed in this report are in accordance with council’s Treasury Management Policy, and the 2021–31 Long Term Plan, both of which were approved in accordance with council’s decision-making requirements of sections 76–82 of the Local Government Act 2002. At 30 June 2022 the LTF global equity asset class was lower than its target range but considered prudent due to the continuing volatility of the financial markets.

Being a purely administrative matter, Community Views, Māori Impact Statement, and Implementation Issues are not applicable.

Background/Tuhinga

1.         Externally Managed Investment Funds

Council’s managed fund portfolio incurred losses totalling ($2.792M) in 2021/22.  The corresponding budget for the year was $4.206M of gains, of which $2.233M was required as general funding.

Although the general funding element was not available, there were sufficient annual operational savings to avoid having to withdraw cash from the Opex reserved funds.

Table Two

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 June 2022

Annual

Return

% pa

Annual

Target

% pa

Annual Losses

$,000

Budgeted

Annual Gain

$,000

Budgeted

Gen Funding

$,000

3 Year Return

% pa

5 Year Return

% pa

Long Term Fund

- (2.0)

+ 8.1%

($1,934)

$3,711

$1,987

+7.2%

+7.3%

Short Term Fund

- (4.6)

+ 3.8%

($858)

$495

$246

+3.2%

+5.2%

Total Portfolio

- (2.5)

+ 7.2%

($2,792)

$4,206

$2,233

+ 6.5%

+ 6.9%

 

2.         Economic Development Reserve

The purpose of the Economic Development Reserve is to represent funds set aside in the Long-Term Fund (LTF) to support economic development activity including investment in community infrastructure.

 

The closing balance of the Economic Development Reserve on 30 June 2022 was $16.836M as presented in Table Three over the page:

 

 

3.         Property Reinvestment Reserve 

The purpose of the Property Reinvestment Reserve is to represent funds set aside in the LTF and Short-Term Fund (STF) that are to be invested in income producing assets, pending the identification of approved property investments.

The closing balance of the Property Reinvestment Reserve on 30 June 2022 was $31.318M as presented in Table Four:

4.         Regional Projects Reserve 

The purpose of the Regional Projects Reserve is to represent funds set aside in the LTF for approved infrastructure and economic development investments with a view to stabilising the impact of large irregular infrastructure projects on council’s income and capital requirements

 

The closing balance of the Regional Projects Reserve on 30 June 2022 was $14.125M as presented in Table Five:

 

4.1       In June 2022, $2.5M of funding from the Regional Projects Reserve was committed as a Loan Facility to assist the Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust construct the Kaipara Water Scheme infrastructure, subject to meeting preconditions.

 

4.2       In July 2022, $5.0M of funding from the Regional Projects Reserve was also committed to purchase convertible notes to assist the Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust construct the Mid-North Water Scheme infrastructure, subject to meeting preconditions.

 

As an indication, the remaining uncommitted balance of the Regional Projects Reserve after taking into account the allocations outlined in bullet points 4.1 and 4.2 is $6.625M.      

 

5.         Funding earmarked to repay future debt and capital renewals

Targeted River Rates collected and earmarked to repay debt, and the depreciation collected and earmarked to fund future river scheme capex renewals, are currently held in the LTF.

It is recommended that $1,439,389 of 2021/22 targeted rates and $212,911 of 2021/22 depreciation funding are invested into the LTF.  These amounts will add to the corresponding balances already in the LTF resulting in an overall balance of $3,786,026 related to river schemes and the NEST loan, as presented in Table Six over the page:

 

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022   


Council Meeting  ITEM: 6.1

23 August 2022Attachment 1

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 1


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 2


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 3


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 4


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 5


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 6


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 7


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 8


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 9


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 10


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 11


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 12


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 13


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 14


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 15


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 16


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 17


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 18


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 19


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 20


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 21


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 22


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

Attachment: EriksensGlobal - Externally Managed Investment Funds Quarterly Report to 30 June 2022

Page: 23


 

 

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

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Report: Externally Managed Funds: 2021/22 Performance and Related Reserves

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Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 6.2

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Request for Approval to Carry Forward Operational Budget from the 2021/22 Financial Year into the 2022/23 Financial Year

From:

Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 17 August 2022

 

Executive summary/Whakarāpopototanga

Unspent 2021/22 operational budget of $1,348,158 and land management rate budget of $388,556 is proposed to be carried forward into the 2022/23 financial year to fund the completion of operational projects. In addition the requested carry forwards of $190,523 for the environment fund and of $224,651 for S-Map budgets have already been carried forward due to prior approval at the February council meeting. They have been transferred to the land management reserve and approved carry forward reserves respectively. Including the previously approved carry forwards the total budget to carry forward to 2022/23 is $2,151,888. The recommendations in this report have been incorporated into the draft operating result of $44,328.

 

Recommendation(s)

1.         That the report ‘Request for Approval to Carry Forward Operational Budget from the 2021/22 Financial Year into the 2022/23 Financial Year’ by Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and dated 5 August 2022, be received.

2.         That council approves the operational expenditure carry forwards from the 2021/22 financial year into the 2022/23 financial year of:

a.         $35,650 for the Freshwater Plan Change - 5 additional scenarios

b.        $73,650 for the Lakes Ecological Survey

c.         $75,000 for the Water Data Machine Learning Tool (Data Automation)

d.        $125,000 for wetland mapping

e.        $388,556 for unallocated Freshwater Quality Improvement Project Co-Funding to the land management reserve

f.         $29,346 for the Ecometric contract for haul out capability assessment in TON region (Marine Pest programme)

g.         $82,069 for the Trap and Trigger Sika DNA survey contract

h.        $330,846 for Community Pest Control and High Value Area (HVA) Biosecurity partnership activities

i.          $40,861 for the Te Tiriti Health Check

j.          $10,000 for the Te Tiriti implementation plan

k.         $9,000 for IHEMP Projects

l.          $122,000 for Māori Partnerships and Engagement

m.       $132,285 for IRIS next gen

n.        $25,000 for the Climate Risk and Māori literature review

o.        $167,451 for Climate Change - Adaptive pathways and zero carbon transition

p.        $90,000 for a final grant on the 2021/22 Water Resilience fund

 

 

Background/Tuhinga

As with previous years, carry forwards of unspent 2021/22 operational budgets are required to enable the completion of the various operational projects in the 2022/23 financial year.

Following the 30 June 2022 year-end senior management review, eighteen projects were identified as requiring unspent 2021/22 operational budgets of $1,736,714 to be carried forward as funding in 2022/23. In addition, the requested carry forwards of $190,523 for the environment fund and of $224,651 for S-Map budgets have already been carried forward due to prior approval at the February council meeting. They have been transferred to the land management reserve and approved carry forward reserves respectively. Including the previously approved carry forwards the total budget to carry forward to 2022/23 is $2,151,888.

The total of $1,736,714 in new carry forwards has been incorporated into the draft operating result.  The projects requiring this funding are below by group:

 

Environmental Services

Description

 2021-22 Spent

 2021-22 Budget

 2021-22 Budget Unspent

 Amount to Carry forward

Freshwater Plan Change - 5 additional scenarios

$85,655

$130,274

$44,619

$35,650

Lakes Ecological Survey

$0

$104,699

$104,699

$73,650

Water Data - Machine Learning Tool (Data Automation)

$15,000

$92,700

$77,700

$75,000

Wetland mapping

$0

$125,000

$125,000

$125,000

Unallocated Freshwater Quality Improvement Project Co-Funding (to land management reserve)

$0

$388,556

$388,556

$388,556

 

·    $35,650 for Freshwater Plan Change - 5 additional scenarios requested by council. The contract for the modelling is signed and work is underway in 2022/23.

·    $73,650 for Lakes ecology survey which was contracted for occur in June but cancelled twice due to Covid staff absences at the NIWA. Now expected to occur in August.

·    $75,000 for a water data machine learning tool. The contract was signed in 2021/22 but the work wasn’t able to commence during the last financial year.

·    $125,000 for wetland mapping which was delayed due to COVID related issues and additional contract negotiations and partnering with Kaipara Moana Remediation programme.

·    $388,556 for unallocated Freshwater Quality Improvement Project Co-Funding not utilised in 2021/22. This is proposed to be transferred to the land management reserve to ensure council is able to co fund future central government partnerships to support improved water quality.

 

Biosecurity

Description

 2021-22 Spent

 2021-22 Budget

 2021-22 Budget Unspent

 Amount to Carry forward

Ecometric contract for haul out capability assessment in TON region (Marine Pest programme)

$399,348

$428,694

$29,346

$29,346

Trap and Trigger Sika DNA survey contract

$83,407

$165,476

$82,069

$82,069

Community Pest Control and High Value Area (HVA) Biosecurity partnership activities

$2,264,580

$2,595,426

$330,846

$330,846

 

·    $29,346 for the Ecometric contract for haul out capability assessment in Top of the North region (Marine Pest programme). Covid related staffing issues at both council and stakeholders have caused delays. The work is for a critical implementation tool for the Clean Hull Plan Top of the North collaboration. A contract is in place and additional funding comes from underspends in other parts of biosecurity

·    $82,069 for the Trap and Trigger Sika DNA survey contract which is a critical part of the feral deer eradication programme.  Delivery of the contract has been delayed because of incursions staff shortages and covid travel restrictions impacting on the contractors ability to deliver. A contract in place and the additional funding comes from underspends in other parts of biosecurity

·    $330,846 for Community Pest Control and High Value Area (HVA) Biosecurity partnership activities. Underspends are due to COVID, delays in recruitment and staff vacancies. This work has been committed to in the LTP and is intended to be fulfilled this financial year.

 

Customer Services and Community Resilience

Description

2021-22 Spent

2021-22 Budget

2021-22 Budget Unspent

Amount to Carry forward

Climate Risk and Māori literature review

$0

$75,000

$75,000

$25,000

Climate Change - Adaptive pathways and zero carbon transmission

$182,549

$350,000

$167,451

$167,451

Water Resilience fund

$338,946

$500,000

$161,054

$90,000

 

·    $25,000 Climate Risk and Māori literature review wasn’t completed due to staffing issues, contract scope changes, and further discussions with partner members. This work is expected to be completed in the 2022/23 year

·    $167,451 for Climate Change - Adaptive pathways and zero carbon transmission. Delays in work programmes and the unutilised funding were due to the recruitment of climate change staff through the LTP not being in place until March and April 2022 leaving four months of the financial year remaining to spend allocated operational budgets.

·    $90,000 for the remaining instalment of Te Kotahitanga E Mahi’s water resilience fund grant. This grant relates to the funding allocation from the 2021/22 year and this carry forward will ensure that it is allocated to that year.

 

 

Governance and Engagement

Description

 2021-22 Spent

 2021-22 Budget

 2021-22 Budget Unspent

 Amount to Carry forward

Te Tiriti Health Check

$9,139

$50,000

$40,861

$40,861

Te Tiriti implementation plan

$5,312

$33,442

$28,130

$10,000

IHEMP Projects

$15,413

$32,000

$16,587

$9,000

Māori Partnerships and Engagement

$75,725

$203,152

$127,427

$122,000

 

·    $40,861 for the Te Tiriti Health Check contract which is now expected to be completed in August.

·    $10,000 for the Te Tiriti implementation plan contract which is now expected to be completed in July.

·    $9,000 for iwi and hapū environmental management plans allocated from the 2021/22 financial year budget but expected to be completed during the 2022/23 financial year.  It’s made up of final milestone payments for Ngati Toro and Te Parawhau plans.

·    $122,000 for Māori Partnerships and Engagement budgeted unspent at the end of 2021/22 due to the ongoing staffing level issues, impacts from the pandemic, and iwi/hap capacity

 

Corporate Services

Description

 2021-22 Spent

 2021-22 Budget

 2021-22 Budget Unspent

 Amount to Carry forward

IRIS next gen

$1,715

$134,000

$132,285

$132,285

 

·    $132,285 for IRIS next gen budgets unable to be spent in 2021/22 due to the timing of joint council decision making. Carrying forward this budget will allow sufficient funding for next year.

 

 

Options

No.

Option

Advantages

Disadvantages

1

Approve carry forward of all requested unspent operational budgets

Allows the completion of 2021/22 projects.

Reduces retained earnings though at budgeted levels.

2

Approve no unspent operational budget carry forwards

Retains more surplus in the 2021/22 financial year.

Projects from the 2021/22 financial year do not get finished or 2022/23 programmes must be deferred to allow for 2022/23 work already contracted or committed.

3

Approve some of the unspent operational budget carry forwards

Some projects will go ahead.

Some projects will not go ahead.  Some of the 2022/23 programmes might be deferred to allow for 2021/22 work already contracted or committed.

 

The staff’s recommended option is Option 1 to maintain all contractual work programmes.

 

Considerations

1.         Financial implications

In arriving at the draft operating result of $44,328, $415,174 of already approved carry forwards and $1,736,714 of new carry forwards have been incorporated to represent the total proposed operational carry forwards. Of this $579,079 is to be transferred to the land management reserve (Environment fund and S-Map).

 

2.         Significance and engagement

In relation to section 79 of the Local Government Act 2002, this decision is considered to be of low significance when assessed against council’s Significance and Engagement Policy because it is part of council’s day to day activities.

3.         Policy, risk management and legislative compliance

The activities detailed in this report are in accordance with the 2018–28 Long Term Plan, which was approved in accordance with council’s decision making requirements of sections 76–82 of the Local Government Act 2002.

Being a purely administrative matter, community views, implementation issues and Māori impact statement are not applicable.

 

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 6.3

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Request for Approval to Carry Forward Capital Expenditure Budget from the 2021/22 Financial Year into the 2022/23 Financial Year

From:

Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 09 August 2022

 

Executive summary/Whakarāpopototanga

The purpose of this report is to seek council approval to carry forward seven capital projects totalling $1,410,058 from the 2021/22 financial year into the 2022/23 financial year. 

 

Recommendation(s)

1.         That the report ‘Request for Approval to Carry Forward Capital Expenditure Budget from the 2021/22 Financial Year into the 2022/23 Financial Year’ by Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and dated 5 August 2022, be received.

2.         That council approves the carry forward of $1,410,058 capital expenditure budget from the 2021/22 financial year into the 2022/23 financial year.

 

 

Background/Tuhinga

Staff have carried out a final review on any ongoing capital projects and associated Capital Expenditure (Capex) carry forwards for council consideration and approval.

As part of the budget process finance staff ensure that all Capex is adequately funded via depreciation over the expected useful life of each asset class.

Following the 30 June 2022 year-end senior management review, which was based upon the actual Capex incurred and the review of ongoing requirements, a total of $1,410,058 is proposed to be carried forward into 2022/23 which is entirely general capex (not targeted rate funded).

 

2021/22 Actual and Budgeted Capital Expenditure

The revised capital expenditure budget for 2021/22 was $18,854,838.  The total actual capital expenditure incurred in 2021/22 was $18,444,818, resulting in an underspend of $410,020.  The variance to budget includes $3,515,203 of overspends relating to commercial property capital expenditure that is funded from the Property Reinvestment Fund and $1.8M of underspends on targeted river rate funded capital expenditure. For a breakdown of this please refer to Attachment One.

 

2022/23 Budgeted Capital Expenditure and Proposed Carry Forwards

The original 2022/23 capital expenditure budget is $28,839,064 and by adding the total requested 2021/22 carry forwards of $1,410,058 this budget will increase to $30,249,122.  The detail of the original 2022/23 capital expenditure programme and the proposed capital carry forwards are presented in Attachment Two.

 


 

Explanations to proposed capital carry forward expenditure for 2021/22

 

Environmental Services: Proposed capital expenditure carry forward $365,153

Approval of $365,153 capital carry forward expenditure is sought:

·     $41,500 for environmental monitoring sensors not to be delivered until the next financial year due to shipping delays.

·     $81,078 for Evapotranspiration sensors not delivered due to covid related shipping delays.

·     $4,595 for water level sensors ordered with delivery expected by September

·     $9,190 for bore groundwater sensors ordered with delivery expected by September

·     $16,570 for a remote controlled boat for ADCP with delivery expected by September

·     $16,087 for STIV cameras for river flow measurement on order since March but not able to be delivered due to covid related manufacturer, supplier, and shipping issues.

·     $36,132 for a high resolution digital river network model unable to be fully delivered by June 2022.

·     $160,000 for a high-resolution land use GIS data set which has completed the procurement process with a preferred supplier having been chosen. A carry forward of this budget will allow the work to commence

 

Governance and Engagement: Proposed capital expenditure carry forward $16,632

Approval of $16,632 capital carry forward expenditure is sought:

·     To allow the communications and engagement team to invest in engagement equipment including kit for the show trailer, displays, and AV equipment. Covid impacts on events and staffing issues have meant that this budget hasn't be fully utilised this year.

 

Corporate Services: Proposed capital expenditure carry forward $29,574

Approval of $29,574 capital carry forward expenditure is sought:

·     To complete the Wi-Fi equipment upgrade for NRC's buildings in line with the change to user's having laptops instead of desktop computers.  The contract was partially complete at year end with the final costs expected early in the 2022/23 financial year.

 

Customer Services and Community Resilience: Proposed capital expenditure carry forward $998,700

Approval of $998,700 capital carry forward expenditure is sought:

·     To maintain the LTP level of funding for the Tsunami siren upgrade. This project is behind schedule due to contract timing and covid related manufacturer delays. The majority of this year's expenditure was offset by NEMA funding of $128K.

 

 


 

Options

No.

Option

Advantages

Disadvantages

1

Approve carry forward of all requested capital carry forwards

Allows the completion of the 2021/22 capital programme.

Reduces retained earnings at budgeted levels.

2

Approve none of the Capex carry forwards

Retains more earnings for other capital projects.

Projects underway or delayed won’t get the required funding to be completed.

3

Approve some of the Capex carry forwards

Some of the capital projects get to be completed.

Some of the capital projects don’t get completed.

 

The staff’s recommended option is Option 1.  This maintains the unspent capital programme budget from 2021/22 allowing projects that are underway and delayed to be completed.

 

Considerations

1.         Financial implications

$1,410,058 of capital carried forward from the 2021/22 financial year to the 2022/23 financial year.

 

2.         Significance and engagement

In relation to section 79 of the Local Government Act 2002, this decision is considered to be of low significance when assessed against council’s Significance and Engagement Policy because it is part of council’s day to day activities.

3.         Policy, risk management and legislative compliance

The activities detailed in this report are in accordance with the 2018–28 Long Term Plan, which was approved in accordance with council’s decision making requirements of sections 76–82 of the Local Government Act 2002.

Being a purely administrative matter, community views, implementation issues and Māori impact statement are not applicable.

 

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: Attachment One: 2021/22 Actual and Budgeted Capital Expenditure

Attachment 2: Attachment Two: 2022/23 Budgeted Capital Expenditure and Proposed Carry Forwards   


Council Meeting  ITEM: 6.3

23 August 2022Attachment 1

 

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Report: Request for Approval to Carry Forward Capital Expenditure Budget from the 2021/22 Financial Year into the 2022/23 Financial Year

Attachment: Attachment One: 2021/22 Actual and Budgeted Capital Expenditure

Page: 1


 

 

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Report: Request for Approval to Carry Forward Capital Expenditure Budget from the 2021/22 Financial Year into the 2022/23 Financial Year

Attachment: Attachment One: 2021/22 Actual and Budgeted Capital Expenditure

Page: 2


Council Meeting  ITEM: 6.3

23 August 2022Attachment 2

 

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Report: Request for Approval to Carry Forward Capital Expenditure Budget from the 2021/22 Financial Year into the 2022/23 Financial Year

Attachment: Attachment Two: 2022/23 Budgeted Capital Expenditure and Proposed Carry Forwards

Page: 1


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 6.4

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Draft Financial Result to 30 June 2022

From:

Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 17 August 2022

 

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

The purpose of this report is to present the draft financial result for the year ending 30 June 2022 for councillors’ information.  The draft result of $44,328 is provisional.  There may be further adjustments and amendments as the year-end reconciliations are reviewed by senior staff and the statutory financial statements (including notes) for the draft Annual Report are prepared.  There may also be amendments arising from council decisions.  Deloitte is scheduled to commence their three-week on-site audit on 22 August 2022.

 

This result excludes $15.18M of non-cash revaluation gains to investment and owner occupied properties, infrastructure assets, and forestry assets.  Taking these non-cash revaluation gains into account and the movements in the special reserves, the statutory financial statements within the annual report will present a total Comprehensive Revenue and Expense of approximately $19.12M.

 

The final Annual Report to be provided to council on 27 September 2022 for adoption.  The Annual Report will provide detailed funding impact statements by activity group and full detailed explanations of any material variance.

 

For the Draft Operating Result for council refer to Attachment 1.

 

 

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

1.    That the report ‘Draft Financial Result to 30 June 2022’ by Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and dated 8 August 2022, be received.

2.    That $305,602 of the 2021/22 year-end surplus is transferred to the Opex Reserve to set aside sufficient funding to cover any dividend funding shortfall in 2022/23 and is invested in NZ registered bank fixed rate term deposits, and that the Opex reserve policy is updated accordingly.

3.    That $250,000 of the 2021/22 year-end surplus is transferred to the equalisation reserve for the post local government elections council to later allocate.

 

Background/Tuhinga

Financial results

The provisional Net Surplus after Transfers to and from Special Reserves and excluding non-cash items is $44K compared to a budgeted surplus of $30K.

 

The main variances to the revised budget presented in Attachment 1 are explained below:

 

Revenue

 

·     Rates has a favourable variance (better than budget) of $1.0M or 3% which is due to an increase of rating units during the year and higher than budgeted rates penalty income.

 

·     User Fees and Sundry has a favourable variance (better than budget) of $347K or 8% which is due to higher than budgeted consent monitoring fees of $541K, higher than budgeted mooring fees of $103K, higher than budgeted tenancy recoveries of $175K (predominantly relating to Kensington Crossing), and higher than budgeted maritime recoveries of $130K.  This is partially offset by lower than budgeted bus fare revenue of ($339K) and lower than budgeted pilotage income of ($298K).

 

·     Grants and Subsidies has a favourable variance (better than budget) of $901K or 6%. This variance is predominantly due to unbudgeted provincial development unit subsidies for flood infrastructure of $1.68M, unbudgeted subsidies for Northern Transport Alliance staff of $205K, higher than budgeted Waka Kotahi income of $301K.  This is offset by lower than budgeted subsidies on the predator free programme of ($1.20M).

 

·     Interest Revenue has a favourable variance (better than budget) of $165K or 102% which is due to unbudgeted REL loan interest of $95K which is offset with a provision and unbudgeted interest on various term deposits of $52K.

 

·     Other Revenue has a favourable variance (better than budget) of $700K or 11% which is due to higher than budgeted Marsden Maritime Holdings Limited dividends of $720K.

 

·     Other gains have an unfavourable variance (worse than budget) of ($13.03M) or (142%) which is primarily due to lower than budgeted gains on the externally managed funds of ($7.00M) and lower than budgeted proceeds from investment property sales of ($6.06M) due to the Kensington Crossing property being revalued last financial year to the expected sale price but the gains on resale being budgeted this year. This variance is fully offset by lower than budgeted transfers to the property reinvestment reserve. The details for 2021/22 externally managed funds are the subject of agenda item 6.1.

 

Expenditure

 

·     Personnel Costs – Salaries has a favourable variance (expenditure less than budget) of $1.17M or 5% due to general delays in filling LTP budgeted positions. Additionally this variance includes $640K of Kaipara Maurikura (the Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) entity) salaries which is fully offset by utilised budgeted cash grants to KMR in other expenditure.

 

·     Personnel Costs – Other has an unfavourable variance (expenditure exceeding budget) of ($241K) or (19%) predominantly due to an increase in annual and flexi leave balances of ($310K) offset by lower than budgeted casual staff and kiwisaver costs of $56K.

 

·     Other Expenditure has a favourable variance (expenditure less than budget) of $7.76M or 18%.

 

Expenditure variances offset with fees, grants or subsidies:

-    Lower than budgeted expenditure on the predator free programme of $1.91M

-    Lower than budgeted expenditure on the Kauri boardwalk project of $103K

-    Lower than budgeted expenditure on the Stop Wild Ginger biocontrol project of $145K

Offset by:

-    Higher than budgeted costs relating to consenting and monitoring activities of ($460K)

 

Expenditure variances offset with reserve movements:

-    Lower than budgeted costs on council’s enterprise system implementation of $3.31M

-    Lower than budgeted costs on the Environment Fund of $190K

-    Lower than budgeted S-Map costs of $225K

-    Lower than budgeted expenditure on Kaipara Moana grants of $749K

 

Expenditure variances subject to proposed carry forwards:

-    Lower than budgeted wetland mapping expenditure of $125K

-    Lower than budgeted Freshwater Improvement Fund local share of $389K

-    Lower than budgeted lakes surveys of $74K

-    Lower than budgeted CPCAs and biosecurity community partnership costs of $350K

-    Lower than budgeted IRIS next gen costs of $132K

-    Lower than budgeted Māori engagement and partnership costs of $122K

-    Lower than budgeted climate changes costs of $167K

-    Lower than budgeted wild deer survey costs of $111K

-    Lower than budgeted water resilience fund costs of $90K

 

Other expenditure variances:

-    Lower than budgeted expenditure on an afforestation scheme of $102

-    Lower than budgeted training of $102K

-    Lower than budgeted council meeting, travel, and councillor training costs of $142K

Offset by:

-    Higher than budgeted provision for doubtful debts and bad debts on rates of $618K

 

·     Depreciation and Amortisation has a favourable variance (expenditure less than budget) of $469K or 24% due to lower than budgeted capital expenditure and more vehicles fully depreciated but still operational than anticipated.

 

·     Finance costs have a favourable variance (expenditure less than budget) of $153K or 20% predominantly due to council receiving PDU funding on its FIR programme and the enterprise system not incurring as much cost in the first year meaning that it didn’t have to incur additional borrowing as originally budgeted.

 

Reserves

The net transfer to the Special Reserves is $514K lower than budget (less funds transferred into the reserves) predominantly due to the lower than budgeted transfers to council’s externally managed fund reserves of $1.22M representing no gains and a transfer in for capital losses $2.22M and the lower than budgeted gains on property proceeds transferred to reserve of $6.23M.

This is offset by higher than budgeted transfers to the Flood Infrastructure Reserves of $1.68M due to more than budgeted PDU funding, lower than budgeted transfers to the enterprise system reserve of $3.16M due to not incurring the budgeted expenditure this year, movements in the carry forward reserve of $1.57M, higher than budgeted transfers to the Kaipara Moana reserve of $798K due to not requiring the budgeted level of operating grants, higher than budgeted transfers to the land management reserve of $676K relating to the lower than budgeted environment fund grants and a carry forward request, and lower than budgeted transfers from the equalisation reserve of $515K due to not requiring funding for budgeted projects this year.  Further detail on the Special Reserves is provided in agenda item 6.5.


Capital Expenditure

Total capital expenditure including commercial development costs for the year was $18.44M which is $410K less than the $18.85M revised annual budget. The variance to budget includes $3,515,203 of overspends relating to commercial property capital expenditure that is funded from the Property Reinvestment Fund and $1.8M of underspends on targeted river rate funded capital expenditure.  A detailed breakdown of capital expenditure variances and proposed carry forwards is provided in agenda item 6.3.

Opex reserve top up

The Opex reserve was not utilised in 2021/22.

This paper proposes to top up the opex reserve by the net amount of $305,602 from the 2021/22 years surplus. This is made up of the additional $377,666 for 2022/23 IGR dividend funding less a $72,064 reduction in the 2022/23 general funding requirement from managed fund gains.

The Opex reserve is represented by low-risk term deposits to provide funding certainty and ensure the stability of council’s day to day operations.

 

 


 

Equalisation Reserve additional transfer

At the council workshop on 17 August 2022 councillors asked to transfer $250,000 of the remaining draft surplus (then $294,328) to the equalisation reserve for the post local election council to allocate to one off expenditures (in line with the purpose of this reserve). This request is included in this paper as a recommendation.

 

 

Options

No.

Option

Advantages

Disadvantages

1

Approve top up of opex reserve and transfer to the equalisation reserve

Brings surety to funding requirements for the IGR.

Reduces funds available for other projects.

2

Decline top up of opex reserve but approve the equalisation reserve transfer

Retains more surplus in the 2021/22 financial year and allows for more funding of one off expenditures.

If dividends don’t eventuate as per budgeted levels then other sources of funding will be needed for the IGR

3

Approve top up of opex reserve but decline the equalisation reserve transfer

Retains more surplus in the 2021/22 financial year and brings surety to funding requirements for the IGR.

Reduces funds available for other projects.

4

Decline top up of opex reserve and decline the equalisation reserve transfer

Retains more surplus in the 2021/22 financial year

If dividends don’t eventuate as per budgeted levels then other sources of funding will be needed for the IGR. Less money available for one off expenditures

5

Top up the opex reserve and equalisation reserves at lower values than recommended

Increases funding security for the IGR projects and one off expenditures

Doesn’t completely increase funding security which leaves the risk of needing the find other funding.

 

The staff’s recommended option is Option 1 to maintain funding surety for the IGR and allow the $250,000 of surplus to be allocated later on.


 

 

 

Considerations

1.         Financial implications

In arriving at the draft operating result of $44,328, transfers of $305,602 to the operating cost reserve and $250,000 to the equalisation reserve have already been incorporated.

 

2.         Significance and engagement

In relation to section 79 of the Local Government Act 2002, this decision is considered to be of low significance when assessed against council’s Significance and Engagement Policy because it is part of council’s day to day activities.

3.         Policy, risk management and legislative compliance

The activities detailed in this report are in accordance with the 2018–28 Long Term Plan, which was approved in accordance with council’s decision making requirements of sections 76–82 of the Local Government Act 2002.

Being a purely administrative matter, community views, implementation issues and Māori impact statement are not applicable.

 

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: Draft Operating Result 2021/22   


Council Meeting  ITEM: 6.4

23 August 2022Attachment 1

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Draft Financial Result to 30 June 2022

Attachment: Draft Operating Result 2021/22

Page: 1


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 6.5

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Special Reserves at 30 June 2022

From:

Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 17 August 2022

 

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

At 30 June 2022, council has $63.92M of special reserves set aside to cover expenditure on specific projects and work programmes.

This report provides a breakdown of the special reserves held by council, including their purpose and balance as at 30 June 2022.

 

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Special Reserves at 30 June 2022’ by Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and dated 4 August 2022, be received.

 

Background/Tuhinga

 

The equity in council’s balance sheet represents the communities’ interest in council and is measured by the value of total assets less total liabilities.  Equity is classified into a number of general and special reserves to enable a clearer identification of the specified uses for which various funds have been assigned.

A general reserve does not have a specific purpose, whereas a special reserve holds funds that are set aside to cover expenditure on specific projects.  In addition, special reserves may facilitate the funding of works of an inter-generational nature, capital expenditure in particular, over the most appropriate time period.

The special reserves and their respective balances (surplus/(deficit)) in place at the end of the 2021/22 financial year are as follows:

 

Description

Closing Balance

Land Management reserve

833,346

Awanui River reserve

(110,975)

Kaihu River reserve

52,298

Kaeo River reserve

258,038

Whangarei Urban River reserve

(7,670,538)

Property Reinvestment Fund

31,317,794

Equalisation fund reserve

2,286,514

Hatea River Reserve

58,498

Investment and Growth Reserve

79,889

Approved Carry Forwards - General Funds

1,572,809

Kerikeri Waipapa River reserve

17,994

Economic Development Fund Reserve

16,835,591

Regional Projects Fund Reserve

14,125,348

Whangarei Bus & TM Reserve

(63,712)

Emergency Services Reserve

53,398

Flood Infrastructure Reserve

(812,019)

Taumarere River FIR Reserve

162,501

Kaeo River FIR Reserve

53,769

Awanui River FIR Reserve

80,532

Whangarei River FIR Reserve

100,424

Far North Transport Reserve

451,901

Operating costs Reserve

2,565,976

Regional Sporting Facilities Reserve

1,315,839

Kaipara Moana Remediation Reserve

357,869

Total Special Reserves

63,923,084

 

 

Some special reserves earn or are charged interest depending on their closing balance being in deficit or surplus.  For the 2021/22 year the protocol is for reserves in surplus of $50,000 or greater earn interest at 3.33% (as per STF SIPO of 3% plus the 90 day bank bill rate as at June).  Reserves in deficit are either charged at the corresponding external borrowing rate or at the internal rate of 3.50% (based on the average cost of council’s external borrowing).

A description of the purpose of each reserve, the transfers from and/or to the reserve for the year, and the closing balance of each reserve as at 30 June 2022 is provided below.

 

Land Management Reserve

The Land Management Reserve was created to allow council to set aside unutilised Land Management rates for the purpose of funding projects in future years. 

Funding of $190,523 and $388,556 was transferred to the land management reserve for underspends in the environment fund and FIF project budgets respectively. $11,179 was transferred from the reserve to fund the balance of FIF projects. This produces a closing balance of $833,346.

In 2022/23 the existing FIF project are expected to end, utilising $236,950 of funding. The remaining balance will be held for future environment fund and FIF project funding.

 

Awanui River Reserve

The Awanui River Reserve was created to hold any targeted Awanui River Management rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls for river works required as part of the Awanui River Flood Management Scheme.

In the 2021/22 financial year the Awanui River Management project had an operating surplus of $162,342 resulting in a closing reserve balance of ($110,975).  Unused depreciation of $133,925 was transferred to the LTF resulting in a closing cash balance of $22,950.

 

Awanui Flood Infrastructure Rate (FIR) Reserve

The Awanui FIR Reserve was created to hold any targeted Awanui FIR rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls for river works required as part of the Awanui River Flood Management Scheme.  The Awanui FIR Reserve incorporates 30% of any related capital works with the other 70% being attributed to the Flood Infrastructure Rate Reserve.

In the 2021/22 financial year the Awanui FIR project had an operating surplus of $1,360,596.  Capital expenditure of $1,049,716 was incurred producing a closing reserve surplus of $80,532.

 

Whangaroa Kaeo Rivers Reserve

The Whangaroa Kaeo Rivers Reserve was created to hold any targeted Whangaroa Kaeo Rivers Management rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls of river works required as part of the Whangaroa Kaeo Rivers Flood Management scheme.

In the 2021/22 financial year there was an operating surplus of $41,489 resulting in a closing reserve balance of $258,038.  Unused depreciation of $4,153 was transferred to LTF resulting in a closing cash balance of $262,191.


Kāeo Flood Infrastructure Rate (FIR) Reserve

The Kāeo FIR Reserve was created to hold any targeted Kāeo FIR rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls for river works required as part of the Kāeo River Flood Management Scheme.  The Kāeo FIR reserve incorporates 30% of any related capital works with the other 70% being attributed to the Flood Infrastructure Rate Reserve.

In the 2021/22 financial year the Kāeo FIR project had an operating surplus of $15,641 producing a closing reserve surplus of $53,769.

 

Whangārei Urban Rivers Reserve

The Whangārei Urban Rivers Reserve was created to hold any targeted Whangārei Urban Rivers Management rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls of river works required as part of the Whangārei urban rivers management scheme.

The operating surplus of $460,655 has been transferred to the reserve which produces a deficit balance of ($7,670,538).  Adding the unused depreciation of $74,833 transferred to the LTF gives a cash balance of ($7,595,705).

 

Whangārei FIR Reserve

The Whangārei Flood Infrastructure Rate (FIR) Reserve was created to hold any targeted Whangārei FIR rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls for river works required as part of the Whangārei River Flood Management Scheme.  The Whangārei FIR reserve incorporates 30% of any related capital works with the other 70% being attributed to the Flood Infrastructure Rate Reserve.

In the 2021/22 financial year the Whangārei FIR project had an operating surplus of $52,724 producing a closing reserve surplus of $100,424.

 

Kaihu River Reserve

The Kaihu River Reserve was created to hold any targeted Kaihu River Management rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls for river works required as part of the Kaihu River Flood Management Scheme.

In the 2021/22 financial year there was an operating surplus of $4,512 transferred to the reserve producing a closing balance of $52,298.

 

Kerikeri–Waipapa Rivers Reserve

The Kerikeri–Waipapa Rivers Reserve is set up to hold any targeted Kerikeri–Waipapa rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls of river works required as part of the flood risk reduction project for the Kerikeri–Waipapa area.

The Kerikeri–Waipapa targeted rate was discontinued in 2020/21 resulting in an operating deficit of ($345,705) producing a closing balance of $17,994.

 

Flood Infrastructure Rate (FIR) Reserve

The FIR Reserve was created to hold any targeted regional FIR rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls for river works required as part of Northland Flood Infrastructure Schemes.  The FIR reserve incorporates 70% of any related capital works with the other 30% being attributed to the Awanui FIR, Whangārei FIR, or Kāeo FIR reserves depending on the particular project.

In the 2021/22 financial year the FIR reserve had an operating surplus of $4,471,306 and $3,251,559 of capital expenditure producing a closing reserve deficit of ($812,019).

 

 

Regional Projects Fund Reserve (RPF)

The Infrastructure Investment Fund (IIF) reserve was originally established to stabilise the impact of irregular large infrastructure projects on council’s income and capital requirements.  This year it has been repurposed into the RPR as a contestable fund for loans to large infrastructure projects.

The balance of the reserve represents funds held in the LTF RPR portion.  This financial year the capital losses of ($339,910) are transferred from the RPR to align the reserve with the fund value. The $2,225,520 of utilised accumulated depreciation and capital repayments collected and held to repay external borrowings have been transferred out of this reserve since its purpose has changed.

 

Property Reinvestment Fund Reserve (PRF)

This reserve was established to represent the proceeds of commercial property sales and acquisitions and includes the proceeds of a special dividend (capital) payment made by Marsden Maritime Holdings Limited.  The reserve represents property reinvestment funds invested in council's long-term and short-term investment funds that are set aside to be reinvested in income-producing assets, pending the identification of approved property investments.

This financial year the capital losses of ($1,365,213) are transferred from the PRF to align the reserve with the fund value. $29,824,179 of proceeds from property sales, and withdrawals of ($11,946,470) for commercial developments leaving a closing balance of $31,317,794.

 


 

Economic Development Fund Reserve (EDF)

This reserve was established from a repurposing of the Community Investment Fund (CIF) which was not reserved. This reserve represents the EDR portion of the LTF which provides funding toward council’s operational contribution to Northland Inc.

The balance of the reserve represents funds held in the LTF EDF portion.  This financial year the capital losses of ($1,365,213) are transferred from the PRF to align the reserve with the fund value. During 2021/22 this reserve recognised ($428,435) of capital losses leaving a closing balance of $16,835,590.

 

 

Equalisation Reserve

The Equalisation Reserve was created to set aside council’s forestry net income arising in any harvesting year.  This reserve is intended to provide future funding of council’s general activities by allowing council to use these funds for any council activity to smooth future rating increases. Additionally this fund can be used to fund the cost of forestry operations in non-harvesting years.

During the 2021/22 financial year council approved projects from this funding of which only $31,314 for the Whangarei office solar install eventuated within the financial year. In addition $27,568 of forestry work funding was required and council requested that $250,000 was transferred to the reserve resulting in a closing reserve balance of $2,286,514.

 

Hātea River Reserve

The Hātea River Reserve was created to set aside a component of the council’s Services Rate ($1.50+GST) specifically levied across the Whangārei constituency to ensure funding is available in the event dredging of the Hātea River is required.

This year there was an operating deficit of ($41,382) transferred to the reserve producing a closing reserve balance of $58,498.

 

Emergency Services Reserve

The Emergency Services Reserve was created to hold any targeted Emergency Services rates collected and unspent in any given year to ensure all collected rates go to emergency services in the future.

The closing balance of $53,398 represents targeted rates collected (adjusted for non-collection) and not allocated to date.

 

Investment and Growth Reserve

The Northland Regional Council Investment and Growth Reserve was established in 2011/12 to set aside investment income to fund activities and projects that contribute towards the economic well-being of Northland. This year council has started a rate to pay for some of the economic development activities reducing reliance upon investment returns.

 

 


 

Approved Carry Forwards Reserve

The Approved Carry Forwards Reserve was set up to record operational projects for council that have not been completed during the current year and need to be carried forward to the next financial year.  This is the subject of agenda Item 6.2.  At 30 June 2022 the closing balance of the operational projects proposed to be carried forward is $1,572,809.

 

Whangārei Transport Reserve

The Whangārei Transport Reserve was created to hold any targeted Whangārei Transport rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls in the Whangārei bus and total mobility programmes.

In 2021/22 Whangārei Bus made a surplus of $12,954 and Total Mobility made a surplus of $49,803.  This resulted in $62,757 being transferred from the reserve making the reserve balance a deficit of ($63,712).  The positive reserve movement is predominately due to offsetting higher than budgeted Whangarei bus CPI costs with other surpluses within transport in the 2021/22 year and some higher than budgeted Waka Kotahi subsidies.

 

Far North Transport Reserve

The Far North Bus Service Reserve was created to hold any targeted Far North Transport rates collected and unspent in any given year to cover any future funding shortfalls of the Mid North Link, Hokianga Link, and Far North Link programmes. 

$113,564 was transferred to the reserve during 2021/22 resulting in a closing balance of $451,901.

 


 

LIDAR Reserve

The LIDAR Reserve was created to hold any LIDAR contributions as this project is run over a number of years and includes funding from seven parties.

The reserve balance of $11,472 was fully utilised during the year leaving no reserve balance.

 

Regional Sporting Facilities Reserve

The Regional Sporting Facilities Reserve was established to set aside any targeted Regional Sporting Facilities rates collected and not fully utilised in any given year for the purpose of funding sporting facilities across Northland.

During the 2021/22 year $1,300,000 (including $700,000 relating to the last triennium) of grants were distributed and $1,360,567 of unspent rates were transferred to the reserve resulting in a closing balance of $1,315,839.

 

Grants approved in principle for the current triennium are:

a.    Pohe Island Sports Hub (Bike) up to $600,000 (completed)

b.    Sportsville Kaikohe Stage 2 up to $1,400,000 from November 2022 (yet to apply)

c.     Northland Football Hub Stage 1 up to $1,000,000 from August 2023 (yet to apply)

d.    Northland Football Hub Stage 2 up to $800,000 from June 2024 (yet to apply)

            

 

Opex Reserve

The Opex Reserve was established in June 2019 with a purpose (and cash holdings it represents) to ensure that the portion of annual operating costs in any financial year that is intended to be funded from managed fund gains is guaranteed and not exposed to market volatility.

Interest earned on the related term deposits of $26,999 and $305,602 of the 2021/22 surplus has been transferred to the reserve to recognise a reduction in the gains required for general funding in the 2021/22 financial year and the dividend income requirements for the investment and growth reserve. The value of this reserve is held in term deposits and provides stability and assurance over the delivery of contracted work programmes in 2022/23.

 

Enterprise System Reserve

The Enterprise system reserve was established to put aside surplus investment income in order to offset the expected future cost of the enterprise system project.  In 2021/22 the reserve will include rates and any expenditure relating to the enterprise system project.

During the 2021/22 financial year $1,553,584 of funding was transferred from this reserve offsetting most of the expenditure.

 

 

Capital Subsidy Reserve

During the year $8,148 was transferred from this reserve to partially offset depreciation costs associated with the Regional Integrated Ticketing Information System (RITIS). This reserve is now fully utilised.

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 6.6

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Regional Rates Collection 2021/22

From:

Simon Crabb, Finance Manager

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 15 August 2022

 

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

The three district councils administer the collection of the regional council rates on council’s behalf.

 

In 2021/22 all three district councils had an improvement in their collection percentage of current year rates when compared to the prior year. Overall, the collection rate of council’s current year rates increased from 92.1% last year to 94.0% in 2021/22.

 

Table One below summarises the level of rates collected in 2021/22, the outstanding rate balances at year end, and the provisions held to offset the prospect of non-collection of outstanding rates.

 

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Regional Rates Collection 2021/22’ by Simon Crabb, Finance Manager and dated 26 July 2022, be received.

 

 

Background/Tuhinga

Confirmation of council’s rates transactions and outstanding rate balances for 2021/22 are provided by each district council as part of the year-end Annual Report process. 

 

1.         Current Year Rates

In 2021/22 council received $42M of the annual rate strike, equivalent to 94% (2020/21: 92.1%).  The three-year average current year rates collection rate has improved slightly to 92.6% (2020/21 91.8%).

Attachment One is the 2021/22 Rates Reconciliation Statement.  This reconciliation summarises council’s rate strike, cash received, remissions, write-offs and penalties charged,

Graph One presents the proportion of current year rates that has been collected by each district council over the past six years.

 

2.         Rate Arrears

Outstanding rate arrears (including penalty arrears) collected in 2021/22 totalled $1.12M, equivalent to a collection rate of 28.9% (2020/21: 21.9%).  The three-year average rate arrears collection rate has improved to 24.0% (2020/21: 19.6%).

Graph Two presents the proportion of outstanding rate arrears that has been collected by each district council over the past six years.

3.         Provision for Doubtful Rate Debts

Table three provides a breakdown of the provision for doubtful rates debts which is an allowance held to offset the potential loss arising from the non-collection of some of the outstanding rates.

 

The Far North’s outstanding rates balance has increased to $3.11M (2020/21: $2.49M), however there is a corresponding provision of $2.72M held for the prospect of not collecting these arrears which represents 87.5% of the outstanding rates balance (2021/21 87.5%).

As an indication, if the district councils did not collect any NRC rate arrears council would be exposed to a loss of $870K, as this is the amount of outstanding rates that is not covered by the provision.

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: 2021/22 Rates Reconciliation Statement   


Council Meeting  ITEM: 6.6

23 August 2022Attachment 1

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Regional Rates Collection 2021/22

Attachment: 2021/22 Rates Reconciliation Statement

Page: 1


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 7.1

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Consideration and adoption of the policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts

From:

Kyla Carlier, Corporate Strategy Manager

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 11 August 2022

 

Executive summary/Whakarāpopototanga

The purpose of this report is to present the Policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts for council’s consideration, adoption and for amalgamation in to the suite of rating policy documents.

Rating policies are differentiated by district, and it is administratively efficient that the council adopts policies on the remission and postponement of rates on Māori freehold land that are the same as those of the three district councils.

The rating policies were last updated as part of the wider process of the Long Term Plan 2021-2031 (LTP 2021).  The Whangārei and Kaipara district councils subsequently made updates to their policies that now need to be reflected in the policies that council adopts.  A consultation process has been carried out to support this decision.

 

Recommendations

1.         That the report ‘Consideration and adoption of the policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts’ by Kyla Carlier, Corporate Strategy Manager and dated 8 August 2022, be received.

2.         That council supports the changes to the policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts as consulted on, and makes no changes as a result of the submission received during consultation.

3.         That having undertaken consultation in accordance with section 82 and pursuant to section 102 of the Local Government Act 2002 the council adopt the policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts, as they are relevant to the Northland Regional Council, effective from 1 September 2022, included as an attachment to this agenda.

4.         That council authorise Bruce Howse – Group Manager, Corporate Excellence, to make any necessary minor drafting, typographical, or presentation corrections to the rating policies prior to them being published on councils website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options

 

 

No.

Option

Advantages

Disadvantages

1

Confirm changes and adopt the policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts. Update the full policy document accordingly.

Council will achieve compliance with the LGA, and have rating policies substantially consistent with the Kaipara and Whangārei district councils, allowing administrative efficiency.

Council will have to update the full policy document.

2

Do not confirm changes and do not adopt the policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts.

The existing full policy document will not need to be updated.

Council will have rating policies that are substantially inconsistent with the Kaipara and Whangārei district councils, causing administrative inefficiency and confusion.

 

The staff’s recommended option is Option 1, to confirm the changes and adopt the updated policies.

 

Considerations

1.         Environmental Impact

No direct environmental impact is anticipated as a result of this decision.

2.         Community views

The views of the community on the amendments to the policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts were sought during a period of consultation in accordance with section 82 of the LGA. 

One submission was received.  The submission raised concern at equality and fairness around the payment of rates, suggested that a weekly/monthly payment system could make things easier, and suggested that land be deemed abandoned and sold if rates are not paid. The submission is attached to this item.



 

 

 

The low level of feedback was not unexpected given the minor nature of the changes proposed. Previous consultation on rating policies (LTP 2021) demonstrated majority support to updates in policies.

It is of note that council is of the understanding that Kaipara and Whangārei districts have also carried out consultation on these policies prior to making the changes that council is now proposing to adopt.

3.         Māori impact statement

Although the changes to the policies were largely administrative, Council’s policy on Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land has the potential to impact on māori in Northland.  In recognition of this, a pānui was mailed to council’s iwi and hapū database, advising them of the changes and inviting feedback.   

4.         Financial implications

The expected rates remissions as a result of the adoption of the rating policies have been taking in to account in setting rates for the 2022-23 year.  This process will occur every financial year.

5.         Implementation issues

No implementation issues are anticipated.

 

6.         Significance and engagement

Section 76AA of the LGA directs that council must adopt a policy setting out how significance will be determined and the level of engagement that will be triggered. This policy assists council in determining how to achieve compliance with the LGA requirements in relation to decisions.

Council is required to consult with the community in accordance with Section 82 of the LGA, and has done so. The decision to approve and adopt the rating policies is considered to be compliant with council’s Significance and Engagement Policy.

7.         Policy, risk management and legislative compliance

Section 102 of the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA) requires local authorities to adopt a policy on the remission and postponement of rates on Māori freehold land. In development of these policies, the council considered Schedule 11 of the LGA and recognises that the nature of Māori freehold land is different to general title land.

Section 102 of the LGA also allows a local authority to adopt rates remission and postponement policies and specifies that these policies must be consulted on in a manner that gives effect to the section 82 of the LGA. This required processes have been carried out.

 

Background/Tuhinga

Section 102 of the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA) requires local authorities to adopt a policy on the remission and postponement of rates on Māori freehold land, and provides for council to adopt rates remission and postponement policies. 

The Far North, Whangārei, and Kaipara District Councils administer the collection of rates on council's behalf.  In order to minimise the marginal cost of collection, and to be administratively efficient, council adopts the same policies on the remission, postponement and early payment of rates as those of the three district councils.

Council does not adopt the policies, or parts of policies, that do not relate to rates collected on our behalf (for example, a policy, or part of a policy, related solely to water rates).

NRC adopted their current policies on the remission and postponement of rates and penalties, and early payment of rates, in June 2021 as part of the suite of documents adopted with the LTP 2021, and following appropriate consultation. 

Policy changes

Subsequent to council’s LTP 2021 process, the Kaipara and Whangārei district councils made changes to their policies by way of a process carried out concurrently with the development of their 2022/23 annual plans, to give effect to a new requirement for such policies to support the principles set out in Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993.

These principles, including “to promote the retention of that land in the hands of its owners, their whānau, and their hapū, and to protect wahi tapu: and to facilitate the occupation, development, and utilisation of that land for the benefit of its owners, their whānau, and their hapū” are supported by council.  Council consider that this support is reflected in making the proposed changes to these rating policies, as was set out in the Statement of Proposal used for consultation.

Council resolved to consult on adopting all of these changes with the exception of the removal of a clause from the rating policies pertaining to the Kaipara District.  Clause 1.5 of the previous policy ‘rates postponement’ stated ‘This policy does not provide for the postponement of the requirement to pay rates’.  Council proposed to retain this clause to make the policy position on postponement clear, now set out as clause 7 in the draft policy for Kaipara. The other proposed changes support the principles set out in the Preamble to Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1991, and at this stage it is not considered that there is additional benefit to be gained by introducing postponement in the Kaipara district.

None of the changes proposed related to policies set under the Rating Act.

Consultation

Council sought feedback on the proposed changes from 27 July to the 10 August 2022.  Consultation centred on a Statement of Proposal that set out the proposed changes, with consultation tools including public notice in local newspapers, information on council’s website, and direct pānui to councils iwi and hapū mailing list.  Feedback was invited by way of online submission, email, and hard copy.

One submission was received. The low level of feedback received is considered commensurate to the minor nature of the changes, and the fact that the Kaipara and Whangārei district councils were required to have already consulted on these changes, with the exception of new clause 7 in the draft policy for Kaipara, which council has opted to retain (and which is a clause of minor clarification).

 Feedback summary and consideration

The submission that was received raised concern at equality and fairness around the payment of rates and that everyone should be required to pay.  The submission suggested that a weekly/monthly payment system could make things easier for ratepayers, and suggested that land be deemed abandoned and sold if rates are not paid. The submission is attached to this item.

 

 

In considering the question of equality and fairness in relation to the adopting of remission policies for Māori freehold land it is noted that council is required by Section 102 of the LGA to adopt such a policy. Council has also considered Schedule 11 of the LGA and recognises that the nature of Māori freehold land is different to general title land.

Payment options, including weekly or monthly payment of rates, are available to ratepayers via the district council, with information on how to set this up available on their websites.  Section 77 of the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 sets out the process for the sale of abandoned land.

Given these considerations, it is not proposed that any changes be made to the Policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts, as a result of the submission received.

 

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: Rating policies submission - P Morshead   


Council Meeting  ITEM: 7.1

23 August 2022Attachment 1

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Consideration and adoption of the policies on the Remission and Postponement of Rates on Māori Freehold Land pertaining to the Kaipara and Whangārei districts

Attachment: Rating policies submission - P Morshead

Page: 1


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 7.2

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Regional Software Holdings Limited Board Appointments

From:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services

Authorised by:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 08 August 2022

 

Executive summary/Whakarāpopototanga

Council is a shareholder in Regional Software Holdings Limited (RSHL), a Council Controlled Organisation.

 

Council resolved at its July meeting in item 6.3 that:

 

1.         That council authorises the appointment of the Group Manager – Corporate Services as Director to the RSHL Board, effective from 1 October 2022.

2.         That council authorises the appointment of the Information Services & Technology Manager as Alternate Director to the RSHL Board, effective from 1 October 2022.

 

Given the timing of the transition of RSHL to the Regional Sector Shared Services Organisation, it is considered prudent that the above appointments are brought forward to be effective from 23 August 2022.  This is to ensure the appointments are not missed due to timing issues associated with the transition of RSHL.

 

Recommendations

1.         That the report ‘Regional Software Holdings Limited Board Appointments’ by Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services and dated 8 August 2022, be received.

2.         That the council appointments to the RSHL Board, as approved by council in Item 6.3 of the July 2022 council meeting, are brought forward to be effective from 23 August 2022.

3.         That council authorises the CEO to notify RSHL of the appointments.

 

 

Options

 

No.

Option

Advantages

Disadvantages

1

Do not bring the board appointments forward.

Nil.

Council potentially not represented on the board.

2

Bring the board appointments forward.

Council is represented on the board.

Nil.

 

The staff’s recommended option is 2.

Considerations

Being an administrative matter, environmental impacts, community views, Māori impact statement, financial implications and implementation issues do not apply.

 

1.         Significance and engagement

When assessed against council’s significance and engagement policy, and in relation to section 79 of the Local Government Act 2002, this decision is of low significance as this is an administrative matter.

This decision is consistent with council’s policy on the appointment of directors to council organisations.

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 7.3

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Otiria-Moerewa Flood Mitigation Spillway and Bridge for 1.5M Funding Shortfall

From:

Joseph Camuso, Rivers & Natural Hazards Manager; Kyla Carlier, Corporate Strategy Manager and Chantez Connor-Kingi, Kai Whiri Iwituna - Rivers

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience, on 11 August 2022

 

Executive summary/Whakarāpopototanga

Work is progressing on the Otiria-Moerewa flood mitigation project, a critical project that will reduce the flooding impact to Otiria and Moerewa townships and improve the health, safety and wellbeing of these communities.  The tender for stage two closed at the beginning of this month, and this has highlighted a $1.5 million shortfall for this project.

The original budget for the project was $5.1 million, as established in late 2020. It has now increased to $6.6 million mainly due to inflation, COVID impacts and re-design of the stage two bridge from a 42-meter to a 60-meter-long bridge.  The re-design was due to road safety concerns raised by the Northland Transportation Alliance (NTA). 

To address the shortfall, staff are investigating several options including:

·    Seeking further funding from Kānoa (unsuccessful)

·    Approaching Far North District Council for a contribution from their 3-Waters Better Off Funding Package

·    To undertake an application to the MBIE Regional Strategic Partnership Fund

 

Staff are requesting Council to approve the project continue, while additional funding is being investigated. There is urgency to lock-in the contractor’s current pricing for stage 2, meet Kānoa’s overall project deadline and community expectations.

Stages two and three would ideally occur concurrently, delaying or cancelling this project has the potential to increase costs further, irrevocably damage NRC’s partnership with hapū and the community and suffer irrevocable reputational damage.

 

Recommendations

1.         That the report ‘Otiria-Moerewa Flood Mitigation Spillway and Bridge for 1.5M Funding Shortfall’ by Joseph Camuso, Rivers & Natural Hazards Manager; Kyla Carlier, Corporate Strategy Manager and Chantez Connor-Kingi, Kai Whiri Iwituna - Rivers and dated 5 August 2022, be received.

2.         That council agrees that this is an urgent matter with criticality in terms of protection of life and property.

3.         That council approves the continuation of this project with current funding, under council’s pre-election guidance.

4.         That staff continue to determine the most appropriate source of funding for completion of the project.

5.         That staff prepare communications to appropriately inform the community of the increased cost of the works, and council’s planned approach.

 

 

 

Options

 

No.

Option

Advantages

Disadvantages

1

Cancel further works beyond stage 2 on the Otiria / Moerewa Flood Scheme

No additional costs incurred, and additional funding would not need to be sought.

Project will not be completed, leaving life, property, and community health, safety, and wellbeing at risk.

Relationship between hapū and council irrevocably damaged and reputational damage for the council if the project is incomplete

2

Approve continuation of the Otiria / Moerewa Flood Scheme stage 2 and stage 3

The project is completed, and council delivers on mitigating risk to life and property and improves the health, safety of wellbeing of the affected communities.

Reputation and relationships with hapū are maintained and strengthened

Council to explore options for the unbudgeted funding shortfall of $1.5M

 

Staff recommend Option 2 to approve continuation of stages 2 and 3 of the construction of the flood scheme.

Considerations

1.         Environmental Impact

If the second and third stages of this project cannot be completed, the flooding impact on the Otiria Moerewa communities and surrounding environment will not be mitigated as expected.

 

2.         Community views

Council has built a partnership and trust with local hapū Ngati Kopaki Ngati Te Ara, Whanau and the community over the past six years, while developing this project.

Consultation on the Otiria-Moerewa Flood Mitigation Spillway and Bridge took place as part of the consultation on the Long-Term Plan 2021-2031.  The consultation assumed a project cost of $5.1 million and a $2.89M contribution from central government and proposed the establishment of a new targeted Taumārere rivers management rate to fund the local share of repayment of the cost of the project, with the balance (70%) funded by the region-wide flood infrastructure rate.   The consultation was carried out in accordance with S83 of the Local Government Act, including a month-long consultation period, and included a ‘Have Your Say’ event at Otiria marae, which was the most well-attended event during the consultation period.  Eighty-seven submissions were received on the proposal, with 62 registering agreement with the proposal, seven registering disagreements, and 18 being neutral.

Community views on any future funding mechanisms to complete the project will be sought as appropriate and in accordance with councils significance and engagement policy.

Not being able to complete the expected and agreed flood mitigation works has a very real potential to irrevocably damage the relationships between the hapū and local government.

This project will reduce the flooding impact to Otiria and Moerewa townships, reduce the risk to life and property from flooding and improve the health and safety and wellbeing of the residents.

 

3.         Māori impact statement

This project helps establish statements of (Māori engagement framework) commitments to Te Tiriti principles and the outcomes sought by WAI-262 with each of our partnerships.

The Treaty principles of:

1.         Partnership

2.         Participation, and

3.         Active protection when working with Māori are incorporated into projects.

 

This project supports iwi/hapū resource managers to communicate with and learn from whanaunga from other regions, and mātauranga Māori will inform the development of new spatiotemporal decision-support tools to prioritise and select tailormade adaptive interventions to reduce climate-related exposures/sensitivities/vulnerabilities (e.g., secure access for populations in areas susceptible to negative effects of climate change and increasing flooding).

The new co-developed approaches and programme can be transferred to other partnerships that seek input through co-funded projects and this type of programme will be transferrable across Aotearoa. 

The programme is cognisant of the diverse realities of our Māori communities and seeks to support Māori to achieve success as Māori, to overcome data deficiencies about issues that really matter to them, and institutional barriers in governance and management that are hindering their success and the implementation of adaptive interventions.

The programme recognises our iwi/hapū partners as leaders and experts who will demonstrate how agencies should be engaging with mātauranga Māori at the forefront of local/regional/national decision-making. This project has contributed to ensure that taonga species and freshwater ecosystems do not become unsustainable under a changing climate and our construction developments, within our waterways, with the improvements to flood schemes.

This project draws on mātauranga Māori to identify unavoidable Climate Change and Flooding impacts and co-design interventions. This approach addresses all Rauika Māngai principles of best practice and responds to MBIE’s economic, environmental and society Vision Matauranga objectives.

 

 

 

4.         Financial implications

This paper outlines a funding shortfall of $1.5M, this shortfall includes a $660,000 contingency to help address unforeseen inflationary items. The Long-Term Plan 2021-2031 included budget for an assumed project cost of $5 million, minus a $2.89M contribution from central government, and allocated $219,4000 a year to fund repayment of the spillway via a new targeted Taumārere rivers management rate (local share) and the region-wide flood infrastructure rate (70%).

A funding decision is not required at this stage until there is certainty of costs, and the investigation of alternative funding sources is complete.  It will be a future decision of council if borrowing needs to be drawn down from the LGFA, repayment options can be tested with the community during the next long term plan process (2024) if alternative funding applications are unsuccessful.

 

5.         Implementation issues

Urgency is required to keep to Kānoa timelines for project finish end of June 2023 and to lock-in contractors current pricing for stage two and three so the project can continue.

 

6.         Significance and engagement

Should other funding contributions not be able to be secured and an impact on rates is proposed, the matter is likely to become ‘significant’ and consultation required.  This consultation would be required to be completed prior to the rates being impacted, except for council deciding to increase the region-wide Flood Infrastructure rate by less than 2% (annually). 

Further assessments of significance and engagement will be completed as the situation develops.

7.         Policy, risk management and legislative compliance

This decision has implications for work that will reduce the risk to life and property.  Not doing the work results in a high level of risk to the community and reputational risk for council.

 

Background/Tuhinga

NRC has been actively engaged and working in partnership with hapū from Otiria Moerewa communities working on the flood mitigation project.

The Otiria Moerewa Flood Mitigation project is divided into three stages. Stage one is the spillway which is now complete. Stage two is the construction of a new bridge and stage three is the construction of the stop banks. Stages two and three would ideally occur concurrently to save costs. Current available funding will cover the increased costs of stage 2, additional funding would be for stage 3.

Engineers estimates in 2020 for the works required were $5.1 million. With a $2.89M contribution from central government’s Kānoa fund coming off this balance, a new targeted Taumārere rivers management rate was set up to fund the local share of (repayment of) the cost of the project, with the balance (70%) funded by the region-wide flood infrastructure rate.  Current costs in 2022 have risen to $6.6 million, leaving a $1.5 million shortfall from LTP and Kānoa funding.

Council will need to explore funding options to complete the flood scheme.

The relationships between hapū and the NRC are strong and respectful, working in partnership to develop a solution for the community.

Other elements to engage hapū and create community ownership of the project included a 5-day Wānanga measuring river health and biodiversity along with community-rubbish clean-up day. This work was originally planned to be contracted out to BECA (biodiversity) and Fulton Hogan (rubbish clean-up), however interest within the hapū to be upskilled with support from NRC bio-diversity teams and old fashioned mahi for the rubbish clean-up was a win-win with the proceeds going to local charities and Marae.  This also gave NRC staff the opportunity to work alongside local hapū and Kaitiaki building stronger ties and relationships.  

 

 

 Photo above: July 2020 flood ~ 1:50 year event.

The Scheme will eliminate flood water at this location and is designed for 1:100 plus climate change.

 

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 8.1

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Chair's Report to Council

From:

Penny Smart, Chair

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Penny Smart, Chair, on

 

Purpose of Report

This report is to receive information from the Chair on meetings/events attended, and correspondence sent for the month of July 2022.

 

 

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Chair's Report to Council’ by Penny Smart, Chair and dated 9 August 2022, be received.

 

 

Meetings/events attended

During this period, I attended the following meetings/events/functions:

·        TTNEAP Advisory Group | Bi-monthly meeting

·        National Policy Statement Indigenous Biodiversity Exposure Draft webinar

·        Reforms update – Mayors, Chairs and Chief Executives

·        Regional Sector Tour – Taupo

·        LGNZ Conference – Palmerston North

·        LGNZ Zone 1 meeting

·        Northland Forward Together Strategic Planning Workshop

·        LGNZ AGM

·        Northland Mayors and Chairs update

Correspondence

During July I sent out the following correspondence:

Date

Addressed To

Subject

14/07/2022

Prosper Northland Trust

Oruku Landing Conference and Event Centre

27/07/2022

Chair Marsden Maritime Holdings Limited

MMH Director Renumeration

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 8.2

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Chief Executive’s Report to Council

From:

Malcolm Nicolson, Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Malcolm Nicolson, Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer, on 17 August 2022

 

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Chief Executive’s Report to Council’ by Malcolm Nicolson, Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer and dated 5 August 2022, be received.

 

 

8.2.1   Highlights

Northland Regional Council – Kiwi Coast partnership 

While the “twindemic” of COVID-19 and flu affected a number of planned activities and events over the last year, Kiwi Coast has remained strong and much has been achieved: 

·    Kiwi Coast Trust, Strategy Group and Coordinators continued to foster, link, and grow community, hapū and iwi-led pest control and forest recovery across Northland, with our iconic kiwi as a key driving motivator 

·    A further 23 projects linked into Kiwi Coast, taking the total number of entities involved in the collaborative initiative to 210.  

·    The collective area managed by groups and projects involved increased from 225,000ha in 2021, to 241,000ha in 2022. 

·    A record 99,126 animal pests were trapped, taking the nine-year grand tally to 591,584. On average, over 1,900 animal pests were trapped on the Kiwi Coast every week. 

·    Despite COVID-19, a further 22 skill building workshops were able to be held, taking the nine-year total to ninety-eight.  

·    The annual Regional Pest Control Workshop was held as an online “zui” for the first time, involving local, national and international presenters and participants 

·    19,268 people have now attended Kiwi Coast supported events and workshops over the past nine years. 

·    Outcome monitoring showed the hard work by the groups and projects involved is achieving the desired results, with the threatened status of Northland brown kiwi downgraded to ‘conservation dependant’. 

 

 

 

Taiki e!

An acknowledgement that Tāiki e (NRC Te Tiriti Strategy and Implementation Plan) has been adopted at the formal council meeting held 26 July 2022.  This endorses the partnership with Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party (TTMAC) as Tāiki e aligns with council’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and strengthens partnerships with tangata whenua and council’s position/ability to respond to central government reforms.  It also provides clear strategic direction both at a governance and operational level to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.  The main objective of Tāiki e is that it provides a robust starting point for the incoming council for the understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Taitokerau context, partnership and obligations.

 

Operationally, it provides and includes direct actions relating to environmental monitoring, review of council’s regulatory services, and education on environmental and resource management issues. Furthermore, while Tāiki e focuses on capacity, capability and Māori representation, it establishes a framework for looking at the other Ngā Whainga/Goals in TTMAC Strategic Intent 2021-2040 which include Water/Marine and Climate Crisis.

 

‘Tāiki e’ Implementation Plan lists 26 Actions that are made up of 13 x Priority One, 9 x Priority Two and 4 x Priority Three Actions. Of the 26 Actions;  nine are budgeted, seven can be achieved within existing resources and 10 are unbudgeted. Currently there are some Priority One Actions underway or in progress including:

 

·    Action 1.  Establishing Te Tiriti o Waitangi Health Check and Review

·    Action 3.  Support and increase the uptake of the development of Iwi/Hapū Environmental Plans

·    Action 4.  Support and increase the uptake of Mana Whakahono a Rohe (MwaR)

·    Action 7/8/9.  Council environmental monitoring programme to support environmental monitoring by tangata whenua

·    Action 22.  Ensure the successful ongoing implementation of Māori constituencies.

 

Work has been ongoing with the ELT to begin more detailed planning for the ‘Tāiki e’  implementation plan and this will be brought back to TTMAC’s September meeting for endorsement. ELT will need to consider capacity and capability to undertake implementation and delivery, particularly for the Priority 1 Actions over the next 12 months.  Staff recognise that it is important to prioritise ‘Tāiki e’, however, being an election year will result in a period where the incoming council will need time to confirm the new governance structure and be inducted as new councillors.

 

8.2.2   CEO’s Office

Current Legal Proceedings

Department

Description

Status

Consent decision appeal

Two separate consent applications for replacement and new consents relating to a proposed expansion of, Doug’s Opua Boat Yard in Walls Bay, Ōpua

No further update.

Consent decision appeal

Irrigation of avocado orchards and horticulture crops

No further update.

 

8.2.3   CORPORATE SERVICES

Enterprise System Update

Fraud Declaration

I am not aware of any fraud nor am I investigating any incidence or suspected incidence of fraud at this time.

Council property Update

The purchase of two property holdings in Whangārei’s CBD has settled.

 The NIWA Kingfish RAS works are currently on track with the fish tank construction complete, leak testing successful and coating to commence after the shelter is erected. The shelter structure install will progress through August (as in photo). The access walkway decking install is also underway. All offshore equipment has all arrived onsite. Practical completion remains achievable but very tight.

 

8.2.4   regulatory services

Consents in Process

During July 2022, a total of 85 Decisions were issued.  These decisions comprised:

Ÿ Moorings

1

 

 

Ÿ Coastal Permits

12

 

 

Ÿ Land Discharge Permits

9

 

 

Ÿ Land Use Consents

26

 

 

Ÿ Water Permits

18

 

 

Ÿ Water Takes

10

 

 

Ÿ Bore Consents

9

 

 

The processing timeframes for the July 2022 consents ranged from:

Ÿ 117 to 1 calendar days, with the median time being 43 days;

Ÿ 78 to 1 working days, with the median time being 22 days.

Sixty-three applications were received in July 2022.

Of the 133 applications in progress at the end of July 2022:

Ÿ 35 were received more than 12 months ago;

Reasons for being more than 12 months old:

-    Awaiting additional information (including CIAs)

9

-    Consultation with affected parties/stakeholders

4

-    On-hold pending new rules becoming operative

6

-    Other

16

Ÿ 19 were received between 6 and 12 months ago (most awaiting further information from the applicant);

Ÿ 79 less than 6 months.

Appointment of Hearing Commissioners

No commissioners were appointed in July 2022.

Consents Decisions and Progress on Notified Applications in Process, Objections and Appeals

The current level of notified application processing activities at the end of July 2022 is (by number):

Ÿ Applications Publicly/Limited Notified During Previous Month

1

Ÿ Progress on Applications Previously Notified

6

Ÿ Appeals/Objections

2

COMPLIANCE MONITORING

The results of compliance monitoring for the period 1 – 31 July 2022 (and year-to-date figures) are summarised in the following table and discussed below.

Classification

Total

Full compliance

Low risk non-compliance

Moderate non-compliance

Significant non-compliance

Not exercised during period

Air Discharge

5

5

0

0

0

0

Bore Consent

8

8

0

0

0

0

Coastal Discharge

16

8

3

3

0

2

Coastal Permit

9

9

0

0

0

0

FDE – Discharge permit

11

11

0

0

0

0

FDE – Permitted activity

4

4

0

0

0

0

Land Discharge

35

27

2

2

0

4

Land Use Consent

42

33

4

4

0

1

Water Discharge

29

21

4

3

1

0

Water Permit

27

25

0

0

0

2

Water Take

192

122

37

5

0

28

Total

378

273

50

17

1

37

Percentage

 

72.2%

13.2%

4.5%

0.3%

9.8%

Year to date

378

273

50

17

1

37

Percentage

 

72.2%

13.2%

4.5%

0.3%

9.8%

Coastal

Monitoring of the Bay of Islands coastal structure permits for the 2022/23 financial year commenced. Stormwater discharge monitoring was undertaken at Norsand and Riverside Drive boat maintenance facilities.

An abatement notice was issued to the Kaipara District Council for discharging polypropylene material to the coastal marine area from exposed sandbags that are being used for erosion control at Baylys Beach. The sandbag seawall is authorised by resource consent. In response to our enforcement action, Kaipara District Council instructed its contractor to cover damaged bags to minimise further discharges. We have undertaken a follow-up site visit to confirm remedial works. The district council has until 3 November 2022 to remove all failed, damaged and broken sandbags, and to develop a permanent solution going forward.

We continued to undertake marine farm consent compliance follow-up and enforcement action following inspections that were undertaken in March 2022. 

Water, Waste, Air and Land Use (WWALU) Compliance

Monitoring

Ÿ Contaminated Land Management

Two incidents involving the discharge of hazardous substances and 15 enquiries regarding contaminated land were received and responded to. Four hundred and twelve kilograms of hazardous waste was disposed of at the amnesty day and eight sites were added to the Selected Land-Use Register.

·   Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants 

WWTP/Consent Status

Issues (August 2022)

Enforcement Action/Response

Far North District

Ahipara

Expires 2033

Ongoing non-compliance with bacteriological consent limits

Under AN

FNDC investigating land disposal options: UV system to be installed in 2022/2023 to reduce bacteriological
concentrations

Hihi

Expires 30 November 2022; replacement consent yet to be received

No recent issues

None currently

Kaeo

Expires 31 October 2022; replacement consent application has been received

No recent issues

None currently

Kaikohe

Expired 2021 (replacement consent application on hold)

Intermittent non-compliances with ADW flow, ammonia & bacteriological consent limits.

None currently

Issues will be addressed in replacement consent

Kaitāia

Expired 2021; replacement consent application in progress

No recent issues

Under AN (reticulation overflows)

Issues will be addressed in replacement consent

Kawakawa

Expires 2036

No recent issues

None currently

Kerikeri

Expires 2036

No recent issues

 

None currently

Kohukohu

Expired 2016; replacement consent application publicly notified 10 August 2022

Occasional issues with bacteriological conditions of consent

None currently

Opononi & Omāpere

Expired 2019; replacement consent application on hold

Non-compliances with bacteriological consent limits

 

Under AN

Issues will be addressed in replacement consent

Paihia

Expires 2034

Plant upgraded 2019; alkalinity issues preventing optimal ammonia treatment

None currently

Alkalinity improvement project still in progress

Rangiputa

Expires 2032

No recent issues

None currently

Rāwene

Expires 2023

System overdue for de-sludging

None currently

Russell

Expires 2024

Occasional non-compliances with E. coli consent limit post UV

Under AN

Infringement notices issued January 2022 and June 2022

Improvements underway

Taipā

Expires 2029

No recent issues

None currently

Whatuwhiwhi

Expires 2025

Elevated TSS levels (consent limit may be unnecessarily restrictive)

FNDC to seek consent variation to address TSS levels; Under AN for odour from Tokerau Beach pump station

 

Whangārei District

Hikurangi

Expires 2025

Intermittent issues with plant performance

Plant performance being reviewed to identify improvements

Ngunguru

Expires 2035

No recent issues

None currently

Oakura

Expires 2025

Occasional spikes in E. coli

None currently

Portland

Expires 2024

No recent issues

None currently

Ruakaka

Expires 2046

No recent issues

None currently

Tutukaka

Expires 2024

No recent issues

None currently

Waiōtira

Expires 2030

No recent issues

None currently

Waipū

Expires 2030

No recent issues

None currently

Whāngārei City

Expire 2022; replacement consent application publicly notified – 6 submissions received and being responded to

No recent issues

Under AN for odour from plant.

Kaipara District

Dargaville

Expired 30 June 2022; replacement consent application in progress

Non-compliances with WQ discharge volume consent limits

Under AN

Glinks Gully

Expires 2024

No recent issues

None currently

Kaiwaka

Expires 31 October 2022; replacement consent application has been received

No recent issues

None currently

Mangawhai

Expires 2042

Odour complaints and occasional exceedances of TDS consent limit

Under AN

Maungaturoto

Expires 2032

Intermittent non-compliances, generally due to high rainfall

Under AN

Te Kopuru

Expires 2044

Intermittent minor non-compliances

Second aerator installed 2020

Environmental Incidents

There was one environmental incident reported in July which resulted in a significant environmental impact.  This was a smoke nuisance incident in Kaiwaka early in the year which involved the burning of a large pile of unpermitted materials including tyres. The investigation of the incident has been completed and the formal enforcement action in response to the incident is under consideration.

 

 

 

 

ENFORCEMENT

Abatement Notices, Infringement Notices and Formal Warnings

The following is a summary of the abatement and infringement notices issued:

Action Type

Number

Abatement Notice

10

Infringement Notice

2

 

Farm dairy effluent (FDE) monitoring

FDE inspections commenced on 22 July 2022.  NRC staff and the FDE contractor will be visiting a total of 753 farms this monitoring season (four less than last year). To date approximately four percent of farms have been visited and reported on.  Comparisons of this season’s results so far with those for last season are given in the tables below.  It is too early to put much weight on comparisons between years.

Consented farms (571 to do)

Full Compliance

Moderate Non-Compliance

Significant Non-Compliance

This Year

Last Year

This Year

Last Year

This Year

Last Year

16

43

1

8

0

2

94%

81%

6%

15%

0%

4%

 

Non-consented farms (182 to do)

Full Compliance

Moderate Non-Compliance

Significant Non-Compliance

This Year

Last Year

This Year

Last Year

This Year

Last Year

11

17

0

2

0

1

100%

85%

0%

10%

0%

5%

 

Other Enforcement

·     Open burning on industrial/trade property – Whangārei

Charges were laid against an individual for open burning on industrial/trade premises; the burnt items included prohibited items. All witnesses gave evidence in front of a Judge on 25 May 2022. The Judge convicted the defendant on two charges. Sentencing submissions have been filed as per timetable. The sentencing date has been set for 26 August 2022.

·     Breach of enforcement orders - Kaitaia

An individual did not complete the work required by enforcement orders issued on 6 November 2020. The enforcement orders included remedial work on a contaminated land. On 28 June 2022, charging document has been filed to court for prosecution. The registrar adjourned the case until 22 August 2022.

·     Earthworks & vegetation clearance within a wetland – Teal Bay

Charges were laid in the Whangārei District Court on 7 December 2021 against four parties for offences relating to earthworks, vegetation clearance and discharge of sediment that occurred in December 2020. A joint memorandum was signed on 28 June 2022 regarding one issue – whether wetland is a natural wetland or a constructed wetland. This issue is relevant for some of the charges. NRC expert evidence was filed by 15 July 2022 and the defendants’ expert evidence is to be filed by 25 August 2022. If it is determined that the wetland is a natural wetland, then the four defendants will enter guilty pleas to all charges.

·     Farm dairy effluent - Hikurangi

On 27 June 2022, charges were laid in Whangārei District Court against four defendants for offences relating to the discharge of farm wastewater that occurred in November 2021. First appearance date is 17 August 2022.

·     Discharge of contaminated water to stormwater - Whangārei

On 14 July 2022, four charges were laid in Whangārei District Court against one defendant for offences relating to the discharge of contaminated water to stormwater that occurred in September 2021. First appearance date is 18 October 2022.

 

8.2.5   ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

land management

Sustainable Hill Country and Regional Priorities

Milestones

Status

Farm Plans

The target for the 2021-22 is either 136 plans or a total of 34,030 ha covered by completed plans. Staff delivered 107 farm plans totalling 34,011 ha as at the end of June. Staff continue to prepare soil conservation plans for the 2022-23 year, which has the same target as the previous year.

Land treatments – Retirement fencing

Staff are preparing efund applications with a target area of 84ha of eroding pasture to be retired for forest planting by the end of the financial year. The 84ha is the target under the funding agreement with MPI. It should be noted that staff have substantially exceeded this target in the previous two years.

 

 

Poplar and Willow nursery

Objective

Status

Harvest

This year’s harvest was notable for the record demand and supply of trees.

For the 2022-23 planting season NRC delivered orders for 8,440 subsidised poplar and willow trees, exceeding our 7000 target (120% of target achieved). With harvest complete, planning is underway to continue to improve the productive capacity of the current site.  Main areas for work include:

·      improving drainage

·      lower stool bed stocking

·      diversify cultivar mix

·      expand processing area

·      revising fertiliser programme

·      redesigning block layout taking account of works on new rail corridor.

 

Whangārei urban awa project

Key updates for this project:

·   Y2 Reporting has been completed.

·   Two fencing projects were completed in July totaling 209m.

·   Two sites were planted in July totaling 1547plants.

·   The information flyer was sent to recontact properties that did not reply to the initial round of contact.

biodiversity

FIF Dune Lakes Project

Objective

Status

Sediment and nutrient mitigation

Contract awarded and wetland feasibility study underway at Black Lake, Kai Iwi Lakes.

Pest fish and weed control.

Hornwort signs were produced for Lake Karaka and will be installed during the annual lakes survey week. 

Year 5 Annual Report and Year 6 Work Programme

The annual report for Year 5 and the Year 6 Annual Work Programme was provided to MfE.

 

CoastCare

Dune planting continued in July.  A planting day was held on Waipū Sandspit with the Department of Conservation (DOC). The Waipū Sandspit is an important breeding area for the critically threatened NZ Fairy Tern (tara iti) of which there are only around 40 individuals remaining.  DOC were concerned about a blow-out across the spit which had been started by people walking through from the estuary and were keen to plant it to encourage the dune to build up.  A small group of DOC volunteers walked the 4km out to the planting site, picking up litter as they went, and just over 600 spinifex and pingao plants were planted (provided through the NRC Environment Fund). 

A group of people digging in the snow

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Wetlands

The Envirolink report on the design of a Northland wetland SOE monitoring programme was reviewed by Biodiversity staff and received from Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.  This report provides a framework for monitoring the ecological state and trend of freshwater wetlands and a set of 61 priority sites representative of Northland wetlands from which to develop a 5-yearly rolling monitoring programme.  This monitoring framework has been developed to enable NRC to monitor wetland condition and trend and to identify any losses in wetland extent or values, to give effect to the requirements under the Essential Freshwater 2020 programme (NPS-FM, NES-FW).

 

Natural resources

Coastal/Water Quality Operations

 

·   A trial exploring Kākahi (Freshwater mussels) and eDNA (Environmental DNA) is underway with Council, Wilderlab and supported by landowners.  In turbid free waters, Kākahi can filter up to 1.5 litres per hour.  It is considered that Kākahi would ingest a wide range of DNA from the water body.  It is hoped that this approach helps us use eDNA and understand species diversity in low flow environments.

 

Natural Resources Science

 Air quality

·   Investigations to identify new permanent air monitoring sites in Kaitāia and Mairtown, Whangārei are underway.  Both sites were identified as most suitable air monitoring sites for particulate matter in Northland airsheds during the environmental monitoring network review.

·   The Ministry for the Environment, Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency,
Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport and Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health have released the third edition of the Health and Air Pollution in New Zealand (HAPINZ 3.0) on 6 July 2022.  The table below shows the estimated health impacts due to PM2.5 and NO2 pollution from anthropogenic sources in the Northland region in 2016.  The associated social costs are estimated at $460 million (with $176 million from PM2.5 and $285 million from NO2) for Northland. HAPINZ_3.0_FAQs.02 (1).pdf

 

 

Health impacts for the Northland region in 2016 due to anthropogenic air pollution.

Health effect

Cases by source (number)

 

Domestic fires

Motor
vehicles

Industry

Windblown dust

Total

 

Cases due to both PM2.5 and NO2

Premature deaths (all adults)

24

68

0.2

6

98

 

Cardiovascular hospitalisations (all ages)

49

72

0.5

12

134

 

Respiratory hospitalisations (all ages)

38

200

0.3

9

274

 

Asthma prevalence (0-18 yrs)

 

288

 

 

288

 

Restricted activity days (all ages)

24,770

6,597

275

6,872

38,514

 

Freshwater qualityThe stats are estimated in the table are annual for 2016. Data was averaged over 2015-2017 to account for annual variability

 

·     Works related to LiDAR based high resolution digital river network (DRN) model for Northland are making good progress (Water Tech New Zealand Ltd is the service provider).  The GIS deliverables for the Northern Wairoa catchment together with the rest of the region are currently being reviewed by NRC staff. The final report is due by February 2023.

·     The NIWA contract on identifying potential drivers (water chemistry and biophysical characteristics) of benthic macroinvertebrate community pattern for Northland rivers has been finalised.  The project will start in August 2022 and the final report is due in March 2023.

·     The water quality data collected for Raumanga catchment investigation (February 2021 to March 2022) has been analysed and a draft report has been produced, which is currently under review.  The final report will be available by September 2022.

 

Natural Resources Data

 

·     The annual LAWA data refresh is well underway, starting with sites and data in the river, lake and groundwater quality programmes, as well as the recreational swimming programme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hydrology

 

Map

Description automatically generated

Rainfall

·    July 2022 was a wet month for Northland.  All sites received above normal rainfall, with the east coast receiving significantly more rainfall than normal.

·    Note that Cape Rēinga data is incomplete for the month so is displayed as low rainfall below

Map

Description automatically generated

Rivers

·    Most Northland rivers had above-normal to normal flow for July 2022.

·    Low flows at Mangakahia at Gorge (red point below) are being investigated for truth.

 

 

Map

Description automatically generated

Groundwater

·    Recorded groundwater levels were above normal or normal in Northland aquifers.

 

 

 

 

POLICY AND PLANNING

Notified Subdivision application - Kapiro Road

Council lodged a submission on a subdivision resource consent application at Kapiro Road, Kerikeri.  The application seeks to create 133 unserviced lifestyle lots (ranging from 3000m2 to 5ha).  Council’s submission raised concerns over the potentail impacts on wetlands and water resilience.  These concerns were subsequently addressed by the applicant.  Following the hearing on 29 and 30 June, the commissioners declined the application due to more than minor effects on natural character, rural landscape character, visual amenity and productive soils.  The proposal was also considered to be contrary to some of the objectives and policies of the Far North District Plan.  The applicants have subsequently lodged an appeal to the Environment Court. 

 

National initiatives

In July council lodged submissions on:

·   consultation on exposure drafts of changes to the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater (NES-F) and the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPS-FM), and

·   the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPS-IB). 

Copies of both submissions were circulated to TTMAC for feedback and information.

The exposure draft of the NES-F and NPS-FM was to address some technical issues and add further wetland provisions.  Notably, the application of the NES-F to coastal wetlands was not addressed.  The Ministry for the Environment have indicated that there will be a separate process for coastal wetlands in the next month or so.

The NPS-IB will be a new national policy statement.  It will set out how councils manage biodiversity, including a requirement for district councils to map significant natural areas (SNAs) and to develop regional biodiversity strategies.

In July the government also released an exposure draft of the Water Services Entities Bill as part of its reform of New Zealand’s drinking-water, wastewater and stormwater services (“three waters” services).  The bill would create four publicly owned water services entities that manage water services in place of local authorities.  The bill sets out the ownership, governance, and accountability arrangements – it also defines the geographic boundaries of the four entities, how they would operate and be accountable to the public.  Each of the four water services entities would take on responsibility for delivering water services from 1 July 2024.  The Bill is available here:  https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2022/0136/latest/LMS534587.html?search=ts_act%40bill%40regulation%40deemedreg_water+services+bill_resel_25_a&p=1

Council did not lodge a submission on the Bill – the Select Committee is due to report back in the latter half of 2022.

Of note are concerns raised by the Attorney General raised in a submission on the Bill over accountability of the Water Services Entities given they are not councils or state owned entities and therefore cannot be held to account by ratepayers or Parliament. The Attorney General urged government to add a requirement for the entities to submit 10-year plans for auditing as is done with councils' Long-Term Plans. The submission by the Attorney General is available here: https://oag.parliament.nz/2022/submission-water-services

Review of the Regional Policy Statement

Barker and Associates are working on a draft report assessing the Regional Policy Statement (RPS) from a tangata whenua perspective.  Staff are holding meetings with the Department of Conservation and the district councils to receive their feedback on the RPS in preparation for writing the review document.

Far North and Kaipara District Plans

Far North District Council released its Proposed District Plan on 27 July with submissions open until 21 October.  Kaipara District Council are also due to release their draft District Plan for comment.  A council workshop on both these documents is scheduled for 30 August 2022.  Policy and Planning staff will review the documents and provide advice to council on making submissions at the workshop.

Freshwater Plan

NRC is arranging a full-day workshop for the August 2022 PSLG meeting to facilitate further feedback on NRC’s freshwater plan change framework and process.

NRC staff attended the Annual Surface Water Integrated Management (SWIM) meeting in Wellington on 20 and 21 July. This provided the opportunity for council staff to share progress on implementing their freshwater plans, the challenges they are facing, and the available science information and tools to support the plan change.

NRC and ARC staff have had initial meetings to discuss opportunities to share their freshwater plan change approaches, including their approach to tangata whenua engagement.  Particularly pertinent for the Kaipara catchment, where there is shared jurisdiction.  On-going meetings are planned, along with sharing of information and exploring opportunities for synergies in the implementation of NRC’s and ARC’s respective freshwater plans.

The Tangata Whenua Water Advisory Group has been working on its recommendations to council and is due to provide its advice to TTMAC in August for endorsement to council on engagement with tangata whenua.

Council staff have also had an initial meeting with the Wai Māori Group (mandated by iwi leaders to work on the freshwater plan change).

The awareness campaign on the Freshwater Plan continues with, for example, the roll out of social media.

Proposed Regional Plan Appeals

In recent weeks the Environment Court has released several decisions on the Proposed Regional Plan.  A brief summary of the decisions is available below and the decisions are available in full on Councils website.

·   Topic 1A Aquaculture - The provisions controlling aquaculture were appealed by a number of parties seeking both more and less restrictive provisions.  Appeals were resolved without hearing with the Environment Court issuing a consent order on 20 July 2022.

·   Topic 1 – Capital dredging and Marsden Point Port Zone – Parties reached agreement on appeals by Refining New Zealand / Channel Infrastructure in relation to rules controlling capital dredging and the extent of the Marsden Point Port Zone (MPPZ).  Parties agreed to retain the rules adopted by Council for capital dredging without amendment.  Minor amendments were made to the MPPZ, expanding the zone northward to include the current ship berthing area and east to cover an area where resource consent was granted to dredge for ship berthing.  The Court accepted the parties’ recommendations and issued consent documents on 21 July 2022.

·   Topic 15 Mangrove Removal – 29 July parties provided court minor wording alterations to four rules as directed in the 29 June interim decision. We now await a final decision. 

·   Topic 14 Fishing Control – When the Court hearing closed on 6 August 2021, the Court indicated a decision would take longer than 6 months and parties were encouraged to work together to try and find a solution.  This pause has allowed some iwi and hapū parties to reach an adjusted position on some aspects of the relief.  There is also broad support from parties over the Minister of Primary Industries’ decision to close the SCA 1 scallop fishery under the Fisheries Act 1996, and the protection this provides sensitive benthic habitats from scallop dredging disturbance.  Progress and updated positions from all parties was recorded a joint memorandum lodged with Court 29 July.  The parties have requested that the Court now make a decision 

Other appeals and next steps

Staff continue to work towards resolving the remaining appeals on a range of topics.  Key points arising since the last report are:

·   Topic 1 (Vehicles on Beaches) – Parties attended mediation to discuss these appeals on 27 July.  Productive and meaningful progress was made on resolving issues. While some issues remain outstanding, actions have been identified to continue to progress towards resolution.  All parties indicated that the appeal was trending in the right direction and that resolution without a hearing was possible and desirable.

·   Other matters - There are several other relatively minor appeals points that staff continue to work towards resolution with parties.  The council is to provide a further report on progress on the remaining outstanding provisions by 30 September 2022.

·   Plan updates - Staff continue rolling updates to the Proposed Regional Plan online as final decisions are issued by the Court.

8.2.6   BIOSECURITY

WILD ANIMAL CONTROL 

An escaped hind which had been on the loose in the Paparoa area from a nearby deer unit was finally dispatched.  

 

A fallow deer unit was located within the vicinity of the Waitangi Forest which had 8 fallow deer in it with no permit. This has been reported through to DOC who are to investigate.  

 

Staff attended a multi-agency meeting with Auckland Council, DOC Wild Animal Management, and DOC from both the North Island and Auckland Regions. 

 

A mature fallow hind and spiker were dispatched in the Puhipuhi area by an NRC contractor. These were located by one of our new contractors who knows this area well.  He was notified by a landowner, located, and shot these animals within two days of this information.    

 

 

 

FERAL PIGS 

There are ongoing issues at Wharau and Furness Roads in Kerikeri with free range wild cross pigs getting into neighboring properties causing damage. There is an absentee owner, who has workers living on the property and who has limited control over the pigs. NRC staff have set up a trap in the area and are currently working to contact the farm owner and get a plan in place for control and removal of these pigs.  In the meantime, the trapping and dispatching will continue on the adjoining properties, as they are located near the Waitangi Forest which has a healthy Kiwi population.  

 

FRESHWATER PESTS 

Koi carp presence/absence river surveillance netting fieldwork has been conducted along a flood drain network in Ruawai (site outside of koi carp containment zone).  

Annual work planning for 2022-2023 has been ongoing, including finalizing operational projects/fieldwork calendar bookings for the new year, grass carp removal, river site presence/absence of koi carp outside the containment zone.   

 

 

 

PARTNERSHIPS 

July was a busy month for our Biosecurity Partnerships programmes with staff and community group coordinators analysing results and preparing annual reports. Some key achievements from the 21/22 financial year across our HVAs are highlighted below:  

 

Kiwi Link High Value Area 

This High value area (HVA) covers approximately 15,000 ha between Taranui and Glenbervie in eastern Whangarei and has had had an outstanding year: 

 

·    An eightfold increase on NRC’s $100k investment, with private landowners contributing $374,850 of unpaid labour 

·    Removal of 9,509 animal pests in 2021, with a grand total of 36,958 since 2017 

·    Boosted plant pest control, with new “weedy working bees” bringing landowners together to target problem sites 

·    Increasing native bird abundance, including kiwi, kākā and pāteke 

·    Increased communications and engagement, with a new dedicated website close to completion. 

 

Whangārei Heads High Value Area 

Kiwi Call Count Monitoring:  Results show that good stoat control, through quality trapping and Kiwi Saver (1080) pulses, is leading to good kiwi chick survival and that responsible dog control is now ingrained by the vast majority of our community. Overall, results indicate: 

 

·      An approximate kiwi population of 1130 compared with 1090 last season and 80 back in 2001.  

·      A call rate of 10.8 calls/hour (analysed from 135 hours of listening at 18 sites), slightly down from 11.5 calls/hour last year.  

·      A total count of 226 males and 108 females compared with 218 males and 110 females in 2021. 

 

Moth Plant Mob event at School Road. A working Bee on Ross property to support this community stalwart, the Moth plant competition.  

 

Tutukaka High Value Area 

Predator control:  The total catch of cats and mustelids for the two months June-July was 26; roughly half that of the previous period. This is typical of the reduction in catch rates that occurs during winter.  Planning for a 1080 Operation is also well underway with all bait stations having been deployed and the initial possum knockdown toxin laid. 

 

Biodiversity and kiwi monitoring:  Annual Kiwi Call counts are being collated. Kākā are being heard and sighted regularly in Tutukaka – usually just one or two birds at a time, and at dawn and dusk. 

 

Weed Control: S.W.A.T has been taking a very well-earned winter break; and will resume operations in September.  

 

Piroa Brynderwyn High Value Area 

The Piroa Brynderwyn Landcare (PBL) has steadily expanded services with new areas and new functions as the organisation has morphed into a more sophisticated HVA project. Developing a mana enhancing agreement with iwi/hapū is also enriching the groups strategic planning and delivery as they move to formalise their organisation as a charitable trust. Some highlights from the year include: 

·           23 groups now involved 

·           3624 animal pests removed 

·           Over 4000 hours of trapping hours 

·           320 new mustelid traps deployed 

·           Over 2000 hours of Volunteer Weed Action work 

 

Breve Street Reserve - Mangawhai

One of our Volunteers is waiting until the track down to the water has been cut in so that the planting of native trees can be put in place. It is hoped work may begin as soon as possible so spraying and planting can take place, and before the storm water outlet erodes more of the stream banks. KDC have removed the dangerous pine trees from the reserve. 

 

The local ‘trackies’ group is assisting KDC with reinstatement of the track. 

 

 

 

 

King Road Reserve 

A crew of four residents around King Road reserve have been meeting every week to weed around a wetland area there, and lay traps. They are just about to start planting native trees along the front of the section by the road, with a volunteer planting day scheduled for 20 June. There was a good write up on their work in the Mangawhai Focus. A sign was put up to inform the public of the work being done here. 

 

 

 

Western Northland Pest Control 

The Department of Conservation is coordinating an aerial 1080 operation in the Waipoua Forest on areas of public conservation land that have been agreed on in consultation with Te Roroa through their marae.  This operation is scheduled for September and will benefit NRC CPCA’s whose project area includes and/or is adjacent to the forest by reducing rat and possum numbers over the large landscape and providing secondary poisoning of mustelids which will remove trap shy animals.  NRC’s investment in infrastructure of bait station networks and funding of possum control through the Te Toa Whenua, Native Forest Restoration Trust, and Waipoua Forest Trust CPCA’s will also help to slow the reinvasion of possums and stoats on the southern end of the forest.  NRC has also agreed to support DOC by funding up to $35,000 of additional ground control in the privately owned forests that adjoin Waipoua on the northern end to add to the overall outcomes of the project. 

   

KDC Citizens & Environmental Awards ceremony  

On 6 July the Kaipara Mayor awarded Pest Free Peninsulas Kaipara with the KDC environmental award 2022 for their pest control efforts on the Tinopai, Matakohe, Petley, Pahi and Te Pahi Kaipara Harbour peninsulas. The dedicated team of fourteen includes members of the Paparoa Lions club.   

 

This KDC environmental award follows on from their Environmental action in pest management award at the NRC Whakamānawa a Taiao Environmental Awards 2021 held at Kerikeri. 

 

 
 

 

PREDATOR FREE 

Predator Free Whangārei  

Both Whangārei and Pēwhairangi Whānui have had Project Lead staff commence mahi over June and July. The Whangārei field team have expanded their knockdown network area including all areas of Taurikura, which means Working Block 2 is almost complete at 1/ha device density. Despite the stormy weather, the field team did not have a day off with high morale, which we are very proud and grateful for. A new full-time field officer has been recruited, who will begin their position in September. A plan to have Aki Tai Here to carry out the eradication plan in Pataua is currently being developed. 

 

Predator Free Pēwhairangi (Bay of Islands) 

For Pēwhairangi Whānui, multiple hui were held for each peninsula to help establish a co-governance structure and renew each project’s contract. Senior team members led korero with other agencies (DOC, MPI and Biosecurity NZ) about effective co-governance with positive feedback received regarding collaboration and building relationships.  

 

MARINE BIOSECURITY 

Hull surveillance 

A small number of hulls were surveyed by kaitiaki from Patuharakeke Te Iwi in Marsden Cove Marina this month. Kaitiaki use a pole camera to survey vessels recently arrived in the marina. This program has been successful so far to encourage vessel owners and the marine operators to keep vessels clean, thus protecting the rohe moana and the taio for the iwi, and creates a closer working relationship between iwi, industry, and regional council.  

 

Table 1:  Hull Surveillance Programme Results to 31 July 2022 

Hull Surveillance Programme Results 

Total this period 

Total  
YTD 

Pathways Plan Compliance if Moving*  

 

      

Number of vessels surveyed this period     

30 

30 

% Pathways Plan Compliance if Moving (all vessels) *  

93.3  

93.3 

Vessels found with Marine Pests     

   

      

Sabella spallanzanii (fanworm)    

           0 

0  

Styela clava (clubbed tunicate)    

0  

0  

Undaria pinnatifida (Japanese kelp)    

   0  

0  

Eudistoma elongatum (Australian droplet tunicate)    

           0 

Pyura doppelgangera (sea squirt)    

0  

0  

* This is the percentage of vessels surveyed that complied with the acceptable level of ‘light fouling’ as defined in the Marine Pathway Plan. Note: actual compliance is higher given not all these vessels will move from one designated place to another. 

 

Aquaculture On- Farm Biosecurity 

During the last month NRC staff have represented New Zealand's regional councils and unitary authorities at a forum that aims to develop and recommend to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) an approach to reach a future state of biosecurity best practice for the aquaculture industry. This includes developing processes, pathways, and timeframes for practical, implementable, and technically appropriate steps, to best practice biosecurity by 2025 and beyond. Outcomes will include a legislative framework that insures we have the necessary regulatory tools in place to better manage pest and disease pathways for both marine (coastal and ocean) and land-based farms.  

 

NRC/MPI Investigations – Responding to public observations 

NRC have been assisting MPI with investigations of two new observations of possible range extensions of non-indigenous marine species in Northland. These sightings have been reported by members of the public which demonstrates that messaging encouraging the public to report unusual sightings in the marine environment is affective. As part of these investigations, NRC has been connecting with hapu and local communities to involve them in the process of these investigations and gather local knowledge. The first investigation is in Rāwhiti, Bay of Islands and involves the Indo-Pacific ascidian (Symplegma brakenhielmi). This species has been found in Whangārei harbour but is not known to be as far North as Rāwhiti. This investigation has also prompted conversation about ways central and local government communicate and work with hapū.   

 

The other investigation is at Matapōuri estuary for the Australian flatback mangrove goby (Mugilogobius platyynotus), a small fish that was recently identified by experts from Te Papa Museum for the first time New Zealand in Ngunguru this April. NRC have been working with researchers that published the report to help plan a delimitation sampling exercise that will reduce the take of native fish species and cause minimal impact on local biodiversity. Hapū have also been engaged during this process in the hope they can be involved with on-going monitoring in the area if needed.  

 

PEST PLANTS 

·    Annual reporting and budget applications were submitted to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for the work the Council manages on behalf of the National Interest Pest Response Programme for Manchurian wild rice. A budget increase for 2022-2023 was secured to help address the impacts of inflation and to allow further trials of alternative control measures to reduce time to eradication for small sites. The digger removal trial that commenced in 2020-2021 continues to show good results with very limited re-growth detected and an expanded trial is supported by MPI.  

 

·    Funding levels have also been agreed in principle for the 2022-2023 year of the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme. This will allow the continuation of work at priority control sites and commencement of work at Kaimaumau to support Jobs for Nature programme work already underway.  

 

·    The initial analysis was completed for drone survey work that was undertaken to trial the effectiveness of the technology at detecting spartina infestations.  Two sites with difficult to access and known infestation sites were chosen to determine if there are unknown infestations in the vicinity of existing sites; at the first site multiple sites were identified for ground truthing, with varying degrees of confidence in the likelihood of spartina being present at these sites.  At the second site, only two sites outside of the known infestations were identified as possible spartina infestation with low to medium confidence. Ground truthing will take place in spring to ascertain the reliability of the method.  

 

 

Contractor operating drone to conduct spartina surveys at difficult to reach areas within the Whangārei and Kaipara harbours. 

 

 

 Video grid flight lines, and suspected spartina sites (yellow) at the second survey site  

 

Preparations have been completed for the annual weed workshops which will start in early August. Five workshops are planned around the district, at Coopers beach, Kerikeri, Maungaturoto and two in Whangārei. 

 8.2.7  GOVERNANCE AND ENGAGEMENT

MĀORI ENGAGEMENT

Future Councillor Information Sessions

The Māori Relationships Team was out and about in the community over the past month supporting a number of future councillor information evenings.  Alongside Whangārei District Council, Far North District Council, Election Services and the Electoral Commission and together with our own Governance and Communications specialists NRC has been well represented at Whangārei, Dargaville, Kawakawa, Kaikohe and Kaitaia.  We also had plans to attend marae hui at Te Kao, Whirinaki and Otiria however these were cancelled due to tangihanga and weather events.  We did manage to get to the Taiamai ki Te Marangai Takiwa hui where we fielded many questions and were treated to the wonderful hospitality of Ngāti Rehia.  These events have now drawn to a close as we prepare to move into the next phase of the Local Government elections.

Kaiārahi Tikanga Māori supporting the Future Councillors Information evening held recently at Te Kona in Kaikohe and attended by many interested locals.

 

Te Tiriti Health Check Update

The Te Tiriti Health Check is well underway.  Independent reviewers from Buddle Findlay Whaia Legal and their teams have commenced a series of interviews and workshops that include councillors, TTMAC, tangata whenua members of TTMAC, MTAG ELT and hapū Kaitiaki.  The logistics alone has been a substantial undertaken made successful by the commitment and willingness of all parties and the tireless work of key administrative staff.

The Te Tiriti Organisational Review staff survey has also been completed.  This data will be analysed the Pou Manawhakahaere GM Governance and Engagement and Kaiwhakahaere Honongā Māori -Māori Relationships Manager and provided to the independent reviewers.  This will sit alongside the review of key documents and focus group workshops and interviews information.  The next step will be to produce a draft findings and recommendations report that will be presented back to ELT, TTMAC, MTAG and council workshop before a final report is presented to council on 27 September.

 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Investment and Growth Reserve – Projects Report

Project

Update

Future developments/ reporting

REL

Repayment agreement signed by all parties.

Ensure payments are received as per agreement.

Extension 350

Attended final E350 evaluation group meeting.

Final evaluation report to be completed by 31 August.

Other Work Undertaken

Ÿ Joint Regional Economic Development Committee (JREDC) – JREDC meeting and workshop took place on 29 July.

Ÿ Water Storage – Council workshops/meetings to consider investment options to support the Mid-North water storage scheme being developed by Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust. 

Ÿ Walking & Cycling – Presentation to council workship on the implementation of the regional Walking & Cycling strategy.

Ÿ TTMAC – Organised an update on Te Purunga ki te Raki (Regional Skills Workforce Plan) developed by Regional Skills Leadership Group to TTMAC at their meeting on 14 July.

Ÿ TTNEAP – Delivered a presentation on the latest Economic Quarterly at the TTNEAP meeting on 28 July.

Ÿ Regional Economic Development Strategy – Attended the Steering Group’s inagaural meeting and hosted the first discussion of the local government staff group.

 

ONLINE CHANNELS

Highlight: The Kaeo webcam now has a light installed to make the flood indicator board visible at night. This proved useful during the month of July with more than 18,000 page views of the Kaeo webcam during heavy rain events.

Most popular content on Facebook: Most popular content on Facebook: Facebook post on “Trains are back north of Whangārei Kiwirail are working on tracks between Kauri and Towai” (2 July 2022). Reaching 50,981 with engagement 4.648.

*Engaged – number of people who ‘reacted’, commented or shared the post

Key Performance Indicators

Mar-22

Apl-22

May-22

Jun-22

Jul-22

WEB

 

 

 

 

 

# Visits to the NRC website

35,900

37,900

31,600

26,946

50,527

E-payments made

14

7

11

14

77

# subscription customers (cumulative)

1,378

1,368

1,366

1,365

1,364

SOCIAL MEDIA (cumulative)

 

 

 

 

 

# Twitter followers

1,564

1,570

1,580

1,590

1,591

# NRC Facebook followers

10,600

10,600

10,700

10,682

10,817

# NRC Overall Facebook Reach

189,900

62,700

44,000

102,991

117,053

# NRC Engaged Daily Users

8,442

3,838

3,507

5,011

8,692

# CDEM Facebook fans

26,300

26,300

26,300

26,305

26,717

# CDEM Overall Facebook Reach

103,300

111,100

37,000

6,569

203,071

# CDEM Engaged Daily Users

5,564

7,168

1,895

147

25,258

# Instagram followers

1,520

1,526

1,540

1,547

1,557

ENVIROSCHOOLS / EDUCATION

On tour with Enviroschools WaiRestoration

Teachers and Enviroschools Facilitators from the Manawatu and West Coast joined in a tour of six WaiRestoration projects happening in Whangārei and Dargaville.  Birthed in Te Taitokerau, WaiRestoration is an Enviroschools project centred on engaging young people and local communities in the restoration of waterways and biodiversity.  The tour was sponsored by Toimata Foundation and covered riparian planting on farms (Kokopu School) and public land (BestStart Kindy), working with community to clear pest plants (Renew School), fencing off waterways (Whangārei Boys’ High), growing native plants (Dargaville Intermediate) and integrating WaiRestoration learning and action into the curriculum (Tangiteroria School).

Planting with Young Farmers

The NRC-led planting morning at the Young Farmers Grand Final saw contestants and whanau plant 200 riparian plants alongside Te Hihi stream.  Land Management and Education staff worked together to help the contestants leave a legacy for the Whangārei community.

WaiFencing assessment

Whangārei WaiFencing students were assessed on fence construction and repair, temporary electric fencing and associated theory work. The day also included a hikoi to a waterway currently unfenced on a lifestyle block.  Land Management staff talked about where to put the right type of fence to keep stock out of the waterway.

University of Auckland pest control study

The University of Auckland interviewed council staff as part of its investigation entitled:  Ethics, education and eradication:  A transdisciplinary study of challenges to Predator Free 2050 in schools. The investigators are connecting with schools and teachers, curriculum designers, interest groups, and others with expertise on this subject to find out about their preferred approach to teaching predator control in NZ schools and beyond the classroom.

Enviroschools’ sustainability milestones celebrated 

One of our Councillors officiated at Whangārei Primary School’s Enviroschools Silver celebration.  They are actively involved in the wider Whangārei community planting riparian areas, growing their own native plants and their own kai.  The school looks forward to hot composting, eco-sourcing and propagating for wetland planting and whole school learning and action around the Enviroschools theme area ‘Water for Life’.

Another Councillor joined in Kiwi Kids Early Learning Centre’s Enviroschools Bronze celebration.  The tamariki enjoy a twice-weekly bush programme, re-using water for gardens and collecting rubbish found in the community.  The centre is enjoying how excited its whanau is about being part of the Enviroschools Programme and looks forward to getting involved in animal and plant pest control.

On 20 July, GM Governance and Engagement connected with Giggles Learning Centre over their Enviroschools Bronze celebration.  This community embraces Te Ao Māori in all that they do, is active in learning and action around conserving water and the impact of rubbish on water quality.  The centre is committed to developing a māra rongoā, using the māramataka and strengthening Enviroschools mahi and joy with its youngest members.

Enviroschools communities facilitated

Despite the school holidays, during July Enviroschools Facilitators held specific interactions with 64 school and early childhood communities.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT  

Communications

Content created in July included:

·    Media release on the return of weed workshops

·    Story on the winners of our Water Quality Enhancement Award at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards

·    Story on the Waimā Waitai Waiora and Te Kawa Waiora projects on Maunga Huruiki

·    Coastcare e-newsletter

·    From Hills to Harbour e-newsletter

Biosecurity Week

To mark biosecurity week, we ran a series of posts on social media highlighting the work we do with community groups in High Value Areas as well as our wilding pines mahi.

 

LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL INFORMATION (LGOIMA) REQUESTS

Total LGOIMAs

July 2020 to July 2021

July 2021 to July 2022

26

10

Number of LGOIMAs not responded to within 20 working days

0

 

CUSTOMER SERVICES

Telephone inbound call statistics and enquiries

   

May

June

July

Call volume via Customer Services 

2072

1558

1959

Average wait time 

5.4 secs

9 secs

9.6 secs


Telephone call volume over the last three years

 

2019-2020

2020-2021

2021-2022

Call volume via Customer Services 

20812

30566

23669


Other work undertaken

Customer Services has now taken on the role of receiving the hotline calls instead

of the monitoring team. The system set up is working well for both monitoring and customer services.

 

 

Mailroom email processing performance

 

May

June

July

Mail processed

913

677

741

Satisfaction monitoring

Two feedback cards have been received. The complaints have been resolved.

Feedback cards, compliments, and complaints

Compliments received  

Total

·      Monitoring Zivana Pauling

·      Consents

1

1

Total compliments recorded

2

 

Complaints received  

Total

Ÿ Total Mobility

2

Total complaints recorded

2

One complaint was referred to A1 Cabs which has now been resolved, and the other was resolved.

 

8.2.8   COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

TRANSPORT

Total Mobility (TM)

*Total Mobility Scheme figures are reported one month in arrears, due to the required information being unavailable at the time of the agenda deadline.

 

Total Clients

Monthly Actual Expend

Monthly Budgeted Expend

Monthly Variance

Year/Date Actual Expend

Year/Date Budgeted Expend

Annual Variance

 

June 2022

1269

$25,343

$25,000

+$343

$246,477

$300,000

 

-$53,523

 

Total Mobility Figures

When comparing the 2021/2022 against the 2020/2021 financial period, there was a:

·    $21,868 increase in fares collected; however 

·    4377 less trips operated.

In September, October, and November 2021 there was a drop in trips due to COVID-19 and NZ moving through the different alert levels, level 4, 3, and then level 2, the new protection framework (Traffic lights) for COVID-19 started in December 2021, however people appeared still too nervous to travel.      

The Government then announced the 50% public transport initiative, which also included 50% discount on Total Mobility fares from Friday 1 April 2022. Total Mobility clients were travelling further taking advantage of this discount, going on longer trips, but not as often. Hence the increase in fares, but still less trips, these fares are 100% claimable from Waka Kotahi.

Total Mobility Scheme – Far North

The Far North Total Mobility Scheme went live on Friday 1 July 2022, the service has started out in the Kerikeri area. The approved Transport Operator – Driving Miss Daisy (DMD), based in Kerikeri, had equipment installed to take the Total Mobility electronic swipe cards that are linked to the system “Ridewise.”  There are currently 99 active clients, the signing up of Total Mobility clients to this scheme will be an ongoing process.

 

We will increase the maximum fare from $15 to $30 on 1 September, this will encourage more people to sign up to the scheme due to the cost of the current fares to get around Kerikeri (so a better discount) this will also depend on budget restraints and will be closely monitored.

ROAD SAFETY UPDATE

Road Trauma Update

Road Fatalities Statistics for the period 1 January 2021 – 29 July 2021

Fatalities Jan – June 2021

Far North

Whangārei

Kaipara

Northland

National

Local roads

2

2

2

6

101

State highways

5

3

7

15

88

TOTAL

7

5

9

21

189

 

Road Fatalities Statistics for the period 1 January 2022 – 29 July 2022

Fatalities Jan – June 2022

Far North

Whangārei

Kaipara

Northland

National

Local roads

3

4

0

7

110

State highways

9

3

2

14

101

TOTAL

12

7

2

21

211

 

Motorcycle Safety - Ride Forever (R4E) Rider Training Update 2021/2022 Year End (Another Covid affected year)

•     R4E – 2019/2020 – 240 riders completed courses for that financial year.

•     R4E – 2020/2021 – 186 riders completed courses for that financial year.

•     R4E – 2021/2022 – 182 riders have completed courses for this financial year just completed.

 

Bronze Course – 78

Silver Course – 50

Gold Course – 54

 

Government restrictions and lockdowns around COVID-19 have been consistent during the last two years affecting the Ride Forever Training. It is hoped this next 12-month period will at least see a return to figures similar or better to 2019/2021 financial year period.

 

Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

Motorcycle safety continues to be a high priority area of interest and focus. There have now been five motorcyclists killed on Northland roads since the beginning of this year. These crashes will be further investigated by the Police and the Coroner. Motorcycle safety awareness month is September and planning is underway for promoting this.

 

National Bus Driver Shortage

This national issue continues to worsen, with the Whangārei CityLink services being impacted on

Monday 27 June 2022 resulting in 9 trips having to be dropped. Notices were placed on the CityLink

website, Facebook and TrackaBus advising the public of the disruptions.

 

 

Staff continue to monitor the situation and work with the contracted companies to identify and

implement remedial action where possible. This situation will continue for the foreseeable future.

 

Half Price Fares

The government has recently announced that half price fares on contracted bus services and the

Total Mobility Scheme will continue until 31 January 2023.

 

Rose Street Bus Terminus Upgrade

The Rose Street Bus Terminus was officially opened by her Worship the Mayor of Whangārei on Monday 18 July 2022.

 

Commencement of bus operations at Rose St are due to commence from Monday 25 July and this

was slightly delayed due to the inclement weather over the last few weeks which meant minor

works and road marking could not be completed in time.

 

Once the roadworks are complete and the site cleared the works to upgrade the Rose Street

Terminus office will commence.

 

 

Waka Kotahi & NZ Police Road Safety Promotion/Media themes

For July 2022 the theme was Speed and Safe Vehicles.

National Radio Media Awards 2022

Northland road safety through Mediaworks was again very successful at the recent New Zealand Radio Awards. Three Awards were won, two for the ‘Bits & Pieces’ road safety creative for best commercial production and best single commercial and one award for the Road Safety Strategy best commercial campaign.

The Mediaworks creative team have won awards at the last seven NZ Radio Awards with road safety radio creative produced for Northland Regional Council/Northland Transportation Alliance.

It is important that road safety continues to include material influenced by Northland’s challenging transport environment rather than the often-generic metropolitan focussed messaging.

You can listen to 'Bits & Pieces' by clicking the link below - https://www.facebook.com/nrsnrcnz/posts/pfbid02aV53SdWzPKJkKUgn6Sd7MZm3wEougpqHeCvQKR1AZJeMqXYuCYuLyh6ibZortpKkl

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

From the evening of Sunday 24 and through Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 July 2022 the Northland CDEM Duty Officer, Duty Controller, support PIM and Emergency Management Specialist- Whangārei responded to a severe weather event which saw several road closures from fallen trees, flooding and slips across the region.

 

The coordinated response was well supported by key stakeholders and partner agencies including the Northland Transportation Alliance, Northpower, Top Energy, Fire and Emergency (FENZ), Far North and Whangārei District Councils.

 

Technical expertise from Northland Regional Council Rivers and Hydrology departments and community intelligence from Community Response Group Coordinators across the region was also highlighted as being integral to developing situational awareness and informing a successful response. Overall, stakeholder and community feedback has been positive.

 

A multi-agency debrief was held on 3 August and the debrief outcomes and opportunities for improvement will be reported to the next Northland CDEM Coordinating Executive Group (CEG) meeting. 

 

The next CDEM Group and Coordinating Executive Group meetings are scheduled for 6 September 2022.

 

At the end of the month staff attended the 2022 Disaster and Emergency Management conference on the Gold Coast. This is Australasia's premier annual industry event.

     

MARITIME

There were 14 maritime incidents logged in July, the majority of which were aids to navigation light failures, largely due to the heavy rain/limited sunlight causing batteries to run flat.

 

Following the completion of the tender process, a contractor has been selected to remove the remaining 10 beacons in Kioreroa reach, Upper Whangārei Harbour which have been in situ for many decades. These will be replaced by 10 plastic buoys. Work is due to be completed by 31 March 2023.

 

This month staff attended the National Navigation Safety Group annual meeting in Wellington which proved to be valuable. It was agreed that Harbourmasters will collectively write to the Minister regarding the urgent need to update Maritime Rule part 91. Additionally, following successful lobbying by the group, Maritime New Zealand have re-organised the port state control system and now has designated port state control officers whose task is to inspect all shipping for safety purposes under the Tokyo MOU, a pacific wide treaty. It is hoped that this change will improve foreign flag vessels, in turn raising standards and safety on New Zealand’s coast. It was also acknowledged that there is a national problem surrounding abandoned/derelict boats and work to tackle this will be ongoing.

 

The Maritime team is back up to full capacity now with successful recruitment of a maritime officer joining the Opua office.

 

 

RIVERS AND NATURAL HAZARDS

RIVERS

Awanui

July’s wet weather gave a good low-level test to the works already completed. No flooding was reported, and the scheme performed well.

 

Earthworks have been stopped over winter. Planting planned for several completed areas and local (Māori-owned) contractors being lined up for this work. A planting day is scheduled for 12 August.

Otīria/Moerewa

Stage 1 is now complete. The team has shortlisted a contractor for the Stage 2 Bridge construction. The budget has increased from $5.1 million to $6.6 million mainly due to inflation and re-design of the bridge from a 42-meter-long bridge to 60-meter-long bridge due to road safety concerns.  Staff will take a paper (Item 7.3) to the August council meeting for approval to continue the project.  

 

The landowner agreement has been signed and has been submitted to the Māori Land Court. 

Kerikeri

The job has been winterized and has performed well with the small rain event that we experienced in July.

 

NATURAL HAZARDS    

Work Streams   

Status   

Comments   

Whangārei (CBD) River Catchment Flood Model  

80% complete

Nothing new to report

Website Natural Hazards Portal  

97% complete

The portal will include a ‘property viewer’ option; click on any address and all potential hazards will be identified. One step ahead of today’s (3/8) announcement by our environment minister that it needs to be made available on LIMS. The latter being a lot more comprehensive of course.

Raupo Drainage Scheme – Coastal Flood Hazard Analysis & Mitigation Options 

93% complete

An external peer review has just been completed

This project will support the pilot project under the Te Taitokerau Climate Adaptation Strategy (TTCAS) in which scoping, and planning process is underway.

Natural Hazards technical and planning support to District Councils on Plan Changes and Rules

Ongoing

Nothing new to report

Te Taitokerau Climate 

Adaptation Strategy (TTCAS): Professional Services Panel

Ongoing

A total of 27 suppliers have been selected and were informed on 26 July 2022. Kaipara District Council has indicated that their first 2 projects will be going out to category specific panel members over the next 2-3 weeks.

Natural Hazards Work Programme 2022-23

Ongoing

New task added below

·    Scoping out the need for a Regional River Flood Risk Management Strategy following the completion of the new regionwide flood maps and in relation to the above point.

 

NORTHLAND WIDE LIDAR SURVEY

Work Streams   

Status   

Comments   

Regional LiDAR Survey

In progress

Final dataset has been received and we are working with LINZ on final payment and hosting of the data.

 

CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE

The workstreams for the Climate Change team are broadly derived from our two Strategies:

 

1.    Ngā Taumata o te Moana: our strategy for tackling climate change 2021 (NToTM)

2.    Te Taitokerau Climate Adaptation Strategy 2022 (TTCAS)

 

The council Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan (NTOTM) touches every aspect of Council business, so progress is ongoing. In undertaking a ‘stocktake’ of current actions, staff are meeting with teams across Council to build relationships, identify current climate-related actions and areas where more could be done.  This stocktake will form a baseline for work to set up a monitoring, evaluation, review, and reporting system to track our progress.

 

TTCAS was adopted in April 2022 (see www.catt.org.nz) and priority actions continue to be implemented. There are 46 'priority actions' listed in TTCAS. Coordinating and reporting on these actions will happen through the JCCAC (Joint Climate Change Adaptation Committee). Implementation on many actions is ongoing.

 

Work continues to produce a consistent and useful reporting framework that support each of the above strategies.

 

MITIGATION

Toitū carbon inventory and audit

Work is progressing on getting all the required data into the Toitū software. Discussions are being had across Council with relevant staff and departments and the Zero Carbon Transition Advisor is working with Toitū staff to ensure appropriate baseline, reporting and organizational boundaries are set.

 

The initial audit for this piece of work is set for early October. After that we will be able to form a clear emissions reduction pathway and begin work in earnest on our corporate climate positive transition plan (Project 18 of NToTM Implementation Plan).

 

Emissions reporting

The Climate Change team has taken over emissions reporting from Council’s science team. Air New Zealand now require us to purchase data from them to input into our emissions inventory and so we are still waiting on EOFY data from Air New Zealand to complete reporting for Q2. Q1 data is summarised below:

Going forward, staff will report emissions on a quarterly basis to align with data availability, reduce reporting burden, improve efficiency, and enable better data analysis and storytelling.

ADAPTATION

·    Current focus is on supporting district councils to begin to undertake their Community Adaptation Planning projects (Action 30). Kaipara District Council are progressing ahead of the pack in this regard. Recruitment and procurement activities are underway within all partner councils to support this work.

·    The Water Resilience Fund (Actions 35, 36) has funded two projects over 2021/22:

Waikotihe Puna and Te Kotahitanga Marae and Community Water Proposal; submitted by the Te Kotahitanga E Mahi Kaha Trust:

 

Project Summary:

-    Improving water resilience to a community immediately

-    Te Kotahitanga Marae/Squires Lane Community on the SW of Kaikohe, including 15 homes and a marae, church and kohanga reo.

-    Prioritisation based on local knowledge of community and participation in the 2019-20 drought response.

-    Providing tanks, water treatment and associated plumbing and minor repairs.

-    Provider: Te Kotahitanga E Mahi Kaha Trust, experienced and trusted community services provider with recent water tank project experience and access to contractors.

-    Project cost: Estimate $150,000 (ex GST).

Tūtū Te Wai; Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa:

Project Summary:

-    Improving water resilience to some eight Whaingaroa communities, including 95 homes and two marae and benefiting 350 people (this is around Mangonui, Kaeo etc.)

-    Prioritisation based on Te Rūnanga O Whaingaroa and connected social services data and knowledge of community.

-    Providing tanks, water treatment and associated plumbing and minor repairs.

-    Provider: Te Rūnanga O Whaingaroa,  a mandated Iwi organisation, experienced and trusted community services provider with good project management capability and access to contractors.

-      Project cost: Total $270,450 (ex GST).

 

·    The publication of the National Adaptation Plan and implementation programme will require consideration by the Climate Adaptation Te Taitokerau (CATT) collective from an alignment perspective. This was considered in the original drafting of the TTCAS, and any amendments identified will be worked into the schedule.

 

ENGAGEMENT

·    Staff continue to engage with tamariki and rangitahi via EnviroSchools to socialise NRC’s climate work, highlight the climate crisis and actions that can be undertaken to affect change. 

 

·    An EV Expo is planned for Whangārei Farmers Market on 20 August. NZ’s first electric ute will be on display and staff will support EV enthusiasts to identify barriers to uptake and opportunities to overcome those barriers.

 

·    Climate change has also been identified as a central issue in the development of the Regional Economic Development Strategy being led by Northland Inc. The new Strategy presents several opportunities for Te Taitokerau and its communities. 

 

POLICY UPDATES

The government has released the first National Adaptation Plan which sets out how Aotearoa New Zealand will adapt to climate change over the next six years. The plan focuses on establishing the foundations. It sets out what the Government will do to enable better risk-informed decisions, drive climate-resilient development in the right locations, help communities assess adaptation options (including managed retreat) and embed climate resilience into the Government’s work. It includes over 120 actions designed to respond to risks identified in the climate change risk assessment in 2020.

From 30 November 2022, councils will be required to ‘have regard to’ the National Adaptation Plan when making or changing regional policy statements or regional or district plans, including direction for councils to use existing powers to ‘drive climate resilient development in the right places’ and to use the recently updated climate scenarios when exercising their resource management functions. The National Adaptation Plan is to be updated every six years following new risk assessments prepared by the Climate Change Commission. The National Adaptation Plan is available here: https://environment.govt.nz/assets/publications/climate-change/MFE-AoG-20664-GF-National-Adaptation-Plan-2022-WEB.pdf

 

MfE has also released an update to the 2017 coastal hazards and climate change guidance for local government. This update reflects the latest information on sea level rise arising from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Reports and new, New Zealand specific information about how changes in land level (Vertical Land Motion) can also affect relative sea level rise along our coastline – the NZSeaRise project. Staff have yet to do a detailed assessment of how the new Guidance compares to our existing coastal hazards maps.

The new Guidance can be found here:  https://environment.govt.nz/assets/publications/climate-change/Interim-guidance-on-the-use-of-new-sea-level-rise-projections.pdf

 

Locally specific sea level rise information can be explored via this portal: https://searise.takiwa.co/

 

Amendments to the Resource Management Act made in 2020 will require regional councils to have regard to both the emissions Reduction Plan and National Adaptation Plan from 30 November 2022. This will have implications for consent processing, regional policy statement and regional plan.

 

Staff are also in discussions across council departments (land management, biodiversity, policy, biosecurity) about the interaction of Council activities with the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Staff are also in contact with the Ministry for Primary Industries about potential changes to the ETS and forestry and specifically about where NRC can provide additional evidence or support. It should be noted that the Government indicated in late July that changes to the permanent forest category of the ETS were unlikely to change in early 2023

8.2.9   KAIPARA MOANA REMEDIATION

Over the reporting period, KMR has focused unapologetically on maximising winter planting, leading to solid results from the Foundation Planting campaign.  We also ramped up external communications, with a focus on primary sector and iwi/hapū engagement, and profiling our delivery partners, including in te reo. 

Further to our earlier preliminary reporting, we now have a full set of unaudited year end results for Year 2 compared to the contracted annual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

 

KMR Activity

Year 1 Actuals

Year 2 Actuals (Unaudited)

Year 2 KPI target

Comment

Sediment Reduction Plans (Number)

63 Plans

 

205 new Sediment Reduction Plans (or equivalent) delivered

A further 48 Plans rolled over from Year 1

A total of 253 Sediment Plans were ‘live’ in Year 2

248 Plans

(Achieved)

A further 32 Plans were in development at year-end

Area covered by Sediment Reduction Plans
(Hectares)

11,413 Ha

 

51,939 hectares of land were covered by a KMR Sediment Reduction Plan (or equivalent) in Year 2

 

50,000 Ha

(Achieved)

40,526 Ha of that total was newly delivered in Year 2

Fencing

(kms)

 

93.57 km of fencing was either completed or committed in Plan:

·      11.63 km was completed

·      81.94 km was committed

238 km of fencing was completed or committed in Year 2 Plans

168 km

(Achieved)

 

Planting

156,606 plants were planted or committed in Plan

380,466 plants were planted or committed in Year 2 Plans

650,000

 

(Not achieved)

The Year 2 total exceeds relevant totals in each region
(Northland previous highest annual total of ~130,000 plants, Auckland ~75,000 average annual target)

Jobs

As a Jobs for Nature investment, KMR aims to create new, nature-based employment

 

N/A

In total, KMR Year 2 delivered or committed 94,000+ hours of work (~60 FTE)  in  Year 2 Plans

60,000 hours of work (~39 FTE) was delivered in Year 2.

A further 34,000+ hours of remediation work (~21 FTE) is committed in Year 2 plans

74,155 hours of work (~48 FTE)

(Achieved)

 

 

 

 

These results reflect the work of many partners and supporters across the catchment.  The KMR team and the funder are both pleased with the results, which were achieved despite a very challenging year of restricted community engagement due to COVID-19 traffic light settings, Auckland/Northland border closures which affected KMR engagement and nursery deliveries in the Rodney eco-district, and the impacts of COVID-19 and other winter sickness on the KMR team and delivery partners.  The KMR team would like to thank the NRC and in particular the Chair and CEO for their support and advice at the KMR Governance table

While current KMR activity is generally tracking well against the Annual Work Plan, we are seeing some minor slippage in timelines in the digital tools area (not material to overall programme or Work Plan delivery), as well as some delays in the Workforce Development area due to capacity constraints and evolving design of the proposed Employment Hub.  Following KMR Joint Committee advice in July, we are reviewing the scope of this work programme.

In the next quarter, KMR will focus strategic and operational effort on:

·    clarifying and progressing the workforce development programme

·    ramping up mentoring and technical support to our Field Advisor trainees (our ‘boots on the ground’ with landowners)

·    developing the remaining KMR foundational policies and plans (Soil Conservation; Kōrero Tuku Iho). 

·    varying the Deed of Funding to reflect a ten-year plus programme setting.

 

 

 

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 8.3

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Reporting on Long Term Plan 2021-2031 Performance Measures for the year ended 30 June 2022

From:

Robyn Broadhurst, Policy Specialist

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 10 August 2022

 

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

This report presents the results of council’s key performance indicators, as adopted in the Long Term Plan 2021-2031, for the financial year 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

 

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Reporting on Long Term Plan 2021-2031 Performance Measures for the year ended 30 June 2022’ by Robyn Broadhurst, Policy Specialist and dated 6 July 2022, be received.

 

Background/Tuhinga

The Long Term Plan 2021-2031 includes 31 key performance indicators, each of which provides a sample of the activity’s performance, that measure aspects of council’s service provision across three activity areas:

 

• Te Taiao | Natural environment

• Manawaroa te hapori | Community resilience

• Hautūtanga ā rohe | Regional leadership

 

Of the 31 measures, 20 have been achieved, eight have not been achieved, one has the final results delayed, and two have established a baseline. It is important to note that a number of the measures not met were impacted by the ongoing effects of COVID-19. A summary of all measures is set out in the table below, with a brief explanation for those measures that were not achieved. The full results will be in the final annual report, which is scheduled to be presented to council for adoption in September this year.

 

Te Taiao | Natural environment

1.1 Science

1.1.1    Information on water quantity and water resources, including rainfall, river flow, groundwater and flood levels, is made available

1.1.2    Information on the life-supporting capacity of water (fresh and marine) is made available

1.1.3    Information on the standards for ambient air quality is made available

Performance measure

Target

2021/22 result

Percentage of time that flood-level monitoring is accurate (to enable flood warnings to be developed) and is made available to the community

100%

100% – achieved

Percentage of NRC environmental networks monitored for water quality and quantity, and ecology, with results made available to the community

100%

100% – achieved

 

Percentage of time that continuous monitoring of air sheds is achieved, with any exceedances of National Environmental Standards reported and made available to the community

100%

100% – achieved

Percentage of data from routinely monitored sites that meets quality standards and is made available to the community within 12 months of collection

90% or more

95.9% – achieved

1.2 Catchment management

1.2        Improved water quality is advanced through advice and funding to support sustainable land management

Number of subsidised poplar poles provided for erosion-prone land by the council-owned nursery

2021/22: 5,000

 

8030 – achieved

 

The percentage of Environment Fund allocation (in dollar value) that proceeds to completion of successful projects that meet council objectives

95% or more

83% – not achieved

 

There were several issues farmers faced this year – COVID-19, price rises, and supply chain hold-ups – all of which all impacted the number of projects completed.

 

This result is calculated on general environment fund allocation and does not include contributions towards central government funded projects.

Successful delivery of Kaipara Moana Remediation Project workplan milestones through the contribution of financial, governance, staff and technical support

100% of milestones (as set out in the project workplan)

100% – achieved

Percentage of routinely monitored river sites with a Water Quality Index (WQI) score of ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’

Maintain or increase

 

37% – baseline established

 

As this is a new measure, the data collected from this period establishes the baseline. Data collected from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2020 shows a result of 38%, so there is a slight downward trend when compared to this.

1.3   Biodiversity

1.3        Indigenous biodiversity and ecosystems are maintained and enhanced, particularly around our rivers, lakes, wetlands and coastal margins

Number of plants provided through CoastCare programme

2021/22: 14,000

12,290 – not achieved

 

COVID-19 restrictions in July and August 2021 meant several planting events couldn't go ahead. Planting was also lower than normal in May/June 2022 due to availability of contractors required to undertake animal and plant pest control prior to planting; weather restricting both pest control work and planting; and the ability of schools to attend planting days with staff sickness.

Number of top-ranked lakes identified in the Northland Lakes Strategy that are under active management[1] with stock excluded

20 lakes

19 lakes – not achieved

 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, one of 20 lakes listed in the Northland Lakes Strategy did not have its LakeSPI monitoring carried out in the time period, and therefore did not meet the criteria of active management.

1.4 Biosecurity

1.4.1    Community involvement in pest management is promoted in both urban and rural environments through successful implementation of initiatives in the regional pest management plan

1.4.2    The introduction and spread of marine pests is slowed through inter-regional management

Increase in hectares of land under Community Pest Control Area Plans (CPCAs) per annum

5,000ha annually

7345ha – achieved

 

Survey at least 2000 vessel hulls for marine pests each year as part of marine biosecurity surveillance programme

2,000 hulls annually

2061 hulls – achieved

 

1.5 Planning and policy 

1.5       Good management of Northland’s environment is supported by up-to-date legislative planning documents based on sound evidence and processes

Percentage of environmental planning legislative requirements achieved each year

100% of requirements met

100% – achieved

1.6 Consents 

1.6       Processing and administering of resource consents is efficient and effective

Percentage of all resource consent applications that are processed within the statutory timeframes

100%

99.92% – not achieved

 

One out of 1,201 consents was not processed within the statutory timeframes due to an administration error that has now been rectified.

1.7 Compliance monitoring 

1.7       Compliance monitoring of resource consents, and response to reported environmental incidents, is timely and effective

Percentage of consents that are monitored as per the council's consent monitoring programme

90% or more

95% – achieved

 

Percentage of environmental incidents reported to the Environmental Hotline resolved within 30 working days

80% or more resolved within 30 working days

80% – achieved

 

 

 

 

 

Manawaroa te hapori | Community resilience

2.1 Flood protection

2.1       Life and property are protected by the building, monitoring and maintenance of flood schemes

Performance measure

Target

2021/22 result

Number of flood events occurring as a result of failures of flood protection systems below specified design levels, for the Awanui, Whangārei, Kāeo, Panguru and Otiria/Moerewa schemes

Zero

Zero – achieved

2.2 Climate change resilience

2.2       Council provides proactive and coordinated planning for projected climate change and adaptation responses

Development, delivery and implementation of key regional climate change plans and documents

2021/22:

• NRC climate change strategy complete with high-level vision

• Regional climate change risk assessment and adaptation strategy developed

100% – achieved

2.3 Emergency management

2.3       Communities are supported to understand, plan for and manage hazards and risks

Percentage of engaged communities subject to significant hazards that are supported to develop community response plans to guide their responses

100%

100% – achieved

2.4 Oil pollution response

2.4       An efficient and responsive oil pollution response is maintained

Maintain a regional oil spill response plan, including a minimum of 30 up-to-date trained responders

Maintain a minimum of 30 responders at all times

30 responders – achieved

 

2.5 Harbour safety and navigation

2.5       Regional navigational safety is maintained, and marine activities are safely managed

Marine activities are safely managed, with nationally compliant Harbour Safety Management Systems that comply with the Port and Harbour Marine Safety Code operational safety management system[2]

100%

100% – achieved

 

2.6 Transport 

2.6       A resilient transport network is planned for and implemented, including passenger transport services

Percentage of passengers surveyed on the Whangārei, Kaitāia and Mid-North bus services that are satisfied with the overall service provided

90% or more from 3/3 measures

Overall – not achieved

(93% for CityLink Whangārei – achieved

0% for both Far North Link and Mid North Link – not achieved)

 

As both the Far North Link and the Mid North service were being retendered in 2021/2022, passenger satisfaction surveys were not undertaken.

Achievement of key Northland Transport deliverables, measured as an aggregated score, for:

- road safety

- capital works programmes

- maintenance programmes

- response to customer services requests

Aggregated score for achievement of deliverables is greater than 75%

Awaiting results

 

The delay in obtaining these results is outside of councils control as they are sourced externally from the Northland Transport Alliance.

 

Hautūtanga ā rohe | Regional leadership

3.1 Governance

3.1       Council maintains effective, open and transparent democratic processes

Performance measure

Target

2021/22 result

Percentage of official information requests that are responded to within 20 working days

100%

94.1% – not achieved

 

This measure is reported on quarterly, and the above result is therefore the average of all four.

While details of individual information requests are reported monthly through the CE’s report, it is noted that in most cases the reason for the breach was either an administrative error or simply the time/resource to obtain the information requested. On two occasions, hard copy files had to be found and retrieved, one of which was during a lock down.

Percentage of time that elected members attend council meetings

90%

93.2% – achieved

 

3.2 Māori relationships

3.2       Provide information on water resources including rainfall, flood levels and ground water

 

An independent Treaty health check is completed annually

Annual completion

Incomplete – not achieved

 

Te Tiriti health check was completed by the Māori Technical Advisory Group on behalf of TTMAC to identify priority areas for independent consultants to prepare a report utilising the Te Arawhiti Treaty Framework. Staff capacity, delays in procurement, and impacts of COVID-19 means the independent report will not be presented to council until the end of August 2022, therefore outside of this reporting timeframe.

All councillors and executive leadership team participate in annual core cultural competency training

100% compliance

100% – achieved

 

3.3 Economic development

3.3       Northland’s economic wellbeing is enhanced by the coordination and delivery of economic development services, activities and funding across Northland

Percentage of key performance indicators set out in Northland Inc's draft annual report that are achieved by 30 June each year

100%

88% – not achieved

 

14 of the 16 KPIs set for Northland Inc for 2021/22 were met. The two not met relate to the number of inward delegations hosted and the number of high impact projects that are implemented. Business disruptions caused by the on-going COVID-19 pandemic has been the primary reason for this.

3.4 Community engagement

3.4       Communities are well informed about council’s work, know how to get involved, and are engaged in council processes

Percentage of residents surveyed who are satisfied with overall communication, community involvement and engagement

Maintain or increase

33% satisfied – baseline established

3.5 Customer services

3.5       Council provides efficient and meaningful customer service

Percentage of customers surveyed who are satisfied with the quality of service received following an interaction with council

Maintain or increase

68.9% – achieved

(Baseline: 58%)

3.6 Corporate excellence 

3.6       Corporate systems and investment are efficient and forward-thinking to support council activities

Key project milestones for the council’s technology solutions are met as per the project plan

2021/22: 40% of enterprise system modules implemented

54% achieved – achieved

 

 

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 8.4

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Legislative Compliance 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2022

From:

Nicola Hartwell, Corporate Planner

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 08 August 2022

 

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

This report presents the findings of council’s legislative compliance programme for the six-month period 1 January – 30 June 2022.

 

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Legislative Compliance 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2022’ by Nicola Hartwell, Corporate Planner dated 25 July 2022, be received.

 

 

Background/Tuhinga

The Office of the Auditor-General encourages local authorities to apply a systematic process to managing the legal risks that might arise in relation to the functions and activities that they are responsible for. 

Council’s current legislative compliance framework provides assurance for compliance with legislation that is fundamental to council’s operations and/or poses significant legislative risk (the core legislation).  The core legislation includes:

•          The Local Government Act 2002

•          The Local Government (Financial Reporting and Prudence) Regulations 2014

•          The Non-financial Performance Measures Rules 2013

•          The Local Government Borrowing Act 2011

•          The Local Government (Rating) Act 2002

•          The Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987

•          The Local Authorities (Member’s Interests) Act 1968

•          The Resource Management Act 1991

•          The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

•          The Holidays Act 2003

•          The Employment Relations Act 2000

•          The Biosecurity Act 1993

•          The Building Act 2004

•          The Civil Defence and Emergency Management Act 2002

•          The Land Transport Act 1998

•          The Maritime Transport Act 1994

•          The Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017

There are several other pieces of legislation that also have relevance to council operations, but compliance is managed via other internal processes and procedures.

Legislative compliance reporting is completed six-monthly by group managers.  Reporting requires group managers to confirm and declare compliance (or otherwise) with the core legislation and identify action that has been carried out to ensure council is aware of any new legislation or regulations. 

Reporting has been completed for the six-month period 1 January – 30 June 2022. 

Reporting indicated that compliance with the core legislation was achieved by council, with five exceptions, as set out below. 

A    Resource Management Act 1991. Part compliance achieved.  There was one breached consent condition in the Freshwater Improvement Fund Dune Lakes programme – an accidental kill of vegetation.  This breach is currently under investigation by the Environmental Protection Authority.  Notification of the breach has been provided to council via email and CEO report.  

B    Privacy Act 2020.  Technical part-compliance was achieved, due to the transit of some private information through NRC systems. There were no consequences as a result of the minor non-compliance, and no reporting requirement. NRC’s privacy requirements are being addressed by way of updates from central government, the Employers and Manufacturers Association and NRC’s lawyers, with ongoing staff training, strengthening IT security policies, and continuous updating of forms across the organisation, as they become known, to ensure the inclusion of a privacy statement.

C    Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2018.  Part compliance was achieved due only to 120 Dent Street undergoing a change in Trial Evacuation Plan.  Compliance is otherwise achieved with Building Warrant of Fitness for all that qualify (2 story and/or lifts etc), with programmed Fire Safety equipment checks.  Regular fire drills are undertaken with Fire Wardens in all Council occupied offices.  Fire Wardens carry out annual training.  A professional fire safety consultancy service is engaged for investment and occupied Council owned properties.

D    Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.  Part-compliance achieved.  There remain parts of NRC’s Traffic Management Plans which are potentially non-compliant in relation to NRC’s contractors - this area is still in development.  NRC otherwise remains updated with advice from central government, the Employers and Manufacturer’s Association, lawyers and NRC’s Health and Safety Committee and Representatives.

E    Public Records Act 2005.  Part-compliance achieved.  Consent files are stored off site in a certified storage facility and some physical records remain stored in non-certified facilities, such as hydro cages.  Some farm dairy effluent files remain on council’s premises following digitisation, and there may be additional information that has been added to these files post digitisation, requiring audit.  Council’s information asset register needs to be completed and information management policies updated and approved.  Council minute books remain in onsite storage, requiring removal to archive compliant storage. 

Staff training and an external review has shown information management maturity levels are low within council.  A Protective Security Group has been established to assist and support implementation of policies, a strategy and action plan (roadmap) as per RISK R00229, with a Retention and Disposal project currently under scope. 

F     Council’s own rules, policies and bylaws.  Part compliance achieved.  The actions resulting in non-compliance at A and B above were also non-compliant with council’s own bylaws/policies.

No new legislation requiring consideration of implementation was reported by group managers.  The group managers have continued to stay informed via ListServs, national steering groups, parliamentary alerts, legal advice, advisors, and audit processes. 

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 9.1

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Receipt of Committee Minutes

From:

Meloney Tupou, Maori Governance and Engagement Support Admin

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Meloney Tupou, Maori Governance and Engagement Support Admin, on 18 August 2022

 

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the unconfirmed minutes of the:

·        Te Oneroa-A-Tōhē Board – 1 July 2022.

·        Joint Regional Economic Development Committee – 29 July 2022.

·        Regional Transport Committee – 2 August 2022.

be received.

 

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: Te Oneroa-A-Tōhē Board Minutes

Attachment 2: Joint Regional Economic Development Committee Minutes

Attachment 3: Regional Transport Committee Minutes   


Council Meeting  ITEM: 9.1

23 August 2022Attachment 1

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Receipt of Committee Minutes

Attachment: Te Oneroa-A-Tōhē Board Minutes

Page: 1


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Receipt of Committee Minutes

Attachment: Te Oneroa-A-Tōhē Board Minutes

Page: 2


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Receipt of Committee Minutes

Attachment: Te Oneroa-A-Tōhē Board Minutes

Page: 3


Council Meeting  ITEM: 9.1

23 August 2022Attachment 2

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Receipt of Committee Minutes

Attachment: Joint Regional Economic Development Committee Minutes

Page: 1


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Receipt of Committee Minutes

Attachment: Joint Regional Economic Development Committee Minutes

Page: 2


Council Meeting  ITEM: 9.1

23 August 2022Attachment 3

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Receipt of Committee Minutes

Attachment: Regional Transport Committee Minutes

Page: 1


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Receipt of Committee Minutes

Attachment: Regional Transport Committee Minutes

Page: 2


 

 

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Report: Receipt of Committee Minutes

Attachment: Regional Transport Committee Minutes

Page: 3


 

 

This page is a placeholder for a single page of a PDF attachment. It will be replaced by the actual PDF page when the PDF version of this document is generated.

 

Report: Receipt of Committee Minutes

Attachment: Regional Transport Committee Minutes

Page: 4


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                         item: 9.2

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Working Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefings

From:

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

Authorised by Group Manager/s:

Auriole Ruka, Pou Manawhakahaere - GM Governance and Engagement, on date 18 August 2022

 

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

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

 

Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party                       (Co-Chairs: Cr Robinson and Pita Tipene)

The Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party (TTMAC) met on 14 July 2022.  The topics for discussion included:

Ÿ Economic development: Te Purunga ki Te Raki

Ÿ Tāiki ē NRC Te Tiriti Strategy and Implementation Plan

Ÿ TTMAC advice to incoming council

Ÿ Local Elections 2022 update

Ÿ Te Tiriti Health Check

Ÿ Tangata Whenua Water Advisory Group (TWWAG) Update

Ÿ TTMAC working arrangements with TWWAG during election period

Following discussion, TTMAC provided advice on the following next steps:

Ÿ That the Tāiki e NRC Te Tiriti Strategy and Implementation Plan be taken to council for adoption at the July 2022 council meeting.

Ÿ That a survey of iwi and hapū members of TTMAC be undertaken and that the Māori Technical Advisory Group (MTAG) analyse the results which will form the basis of a report and recommendations to the TTMAC September meeting, for the purpose of presenting to the incoming council.

Ÿ That the Te Tiriti Health Check programme and survey questions form the basis of an independent report and recommendations to council, reflecting council’s commitment to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Ÿ That the meeting schedule for TTMAC be updated as follows:

Date

TTMAC meeting

11 August

Formal meeting/Workshop

8 September

Formal meeting

13 October

No meeting (council recess)

10 November

No meeting (council recess)

Ÿ That Rihari Dargaville be confirmed as Alan Riwaka’s replacement TTMAC member on TWWAG, and that Mira Norris be appointed as the new TTMAC proxy on TWWAG.

Ÿ That TTMAC members provide nominations (including short bios) to council staff for a replacement for Millan Ruka on TWWAG, and then follow the usual selection process.

Ÿ That a sub-group of TTMAC non-elected members be established to work with TWWAG to review and endorse (as appropriate) the TWWAG Stage 2 Report on behalf of TTMAC (until such time as the incoming council confirms its future governance structure).

 

 

 

Joint WDC-NRC Whangārei Public Transport Working Party       (Chairs: Cr Archer and deputy Cr Stolwerk)

The Joint WDC-NRC Whangārei Transport Working Party (WPTWP) met on 2 August 2022.  The topics for discussion included:

Ÿ CityLink Bus Service - Update

Following discussion, the working party provided advice on the following next steps:

Ÿ Explore possibilities with Police regarding use of bus shelter camera footage, who can use it?

Ÿ Meeting with Intermediate and High School principals, Police, Ministry of Education and Emily Henderson MP, to discuss antisocial behaviour and roles and responsibilities.

Ÿ Cr Murphy suggested proposal to WDC for additional Māori Wardens / CitySafe for Rose Street.

Ÿ Legal opinion is to be sought to establish our responsibility of all parties (NRC/WDC, schools, parents).

Ÿ Investigate incentives for bus drivers for school buses.

 

Planning & Regulatory Working Party                                                                             (Chair: Cr Joce Yeoman)

The working party met on 2 August 2022.  The topics for discussion included:

Ÿ Regulatory Services Work Report

Ÿ Planning & Policy Work Programme

Ÿ Proposed Regional Plan – Appeals Update

Following discussion, no further action was required on any of the agenda items.

 

 

 

   


Council Meeting                                                                                                                                                        ITEM: 10.0

23 August 2022

 

TITLE:

Business with the Public Excluded

 

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive Summary

The purpose of this report is to recommend that the public be excluded from the proceedings of this meeting to consider the confidential matters detailed below for the reasons given.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendations

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 26 July 2022 and Extraordinary Confidential Council Minutes 3 August 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 Confidential Committee 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 -.

10.3

Human Resources Report - July 2022

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).

10.4

Regional Projects Reserve: Investment proposal for Marsden Maritime Holdings

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).

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

Considerations

1.    Options

Not applicable. This is an administrative procedure.

2.    Significance and Engagement

This is a procedural matter required by law. Hence when assessed against council policy is deemed to be of low significance.

3.    Policy and Legislative Compliance

The report complies with the provisions to exclude the public from the whole or any part of the proceedings of any meeting as detailed in sections 47 and 48 of the Local Government Official Information Act 1987.

4.    Other Considerations

Being a purely administrative matter; Community Views, Māori Impact Statement, Financial Implications, and Implementation Issues are not applicable.

 



[1] Active management includes basic care standards for lakes: nutrient management, ecological monitoring, submerged weed surveillance, and weed and pest control if necessary

[2] Compliance with the Port and Harbour Marine Safety Code is measured by conducting an annual self-assessment and periodic peer review