Council Meeting
25 November 2025
Northland Regional Council Minutes
Meeting held in the Council Chamber
36 Water Street, Whangārei
on Tuesday 25 November 2025, commencing at 10.00am
Tuhinga/Present:
Chairperson, Pita Tipene
Deputy Chairperson, Jack Craw
Councillors:
John Blackwell
Joe Carr
Geoff Crawford (Via
audio-visual link from 10.29 – 10.54am)
John Hunt
Colin Kitchen
Amy Macdonald
Arama Morunga
I
Tae Mai/In Attendance:
Full Meeting
Independent Risk Advisor
Independent Tangata Whenua Advisor (x2. One via audio-visual link)
Tāhūhū Rangapū - Chief Executive
Officer
Pou Manawhakahaere - GM Strategic Partnerships and
Engagement
Pou Whakaritenga - GM Regulatory Services
Group Manager - Community Resilience
Pou Tiaki Taiao - GM Environmental Services
Pou Tiaki Pūtaiao - GM Biosecurity
People and Culture Manager
Corporate Strategy Manager
Finance Manager
Governance and Corporate Policy Manager
Translator
Digital Experience Support
Kaiāwhina Tari – Te Tiriti Partnerships &
Engagement Support Governance Specialist
Part Meeting
Financial Accountant
Corporate Planning Specialist
Strategic and Commercial Projects Manager
Secretarial Note:
·
The Chair declared the meeting open at 10am and proceedings
commenced with a karakia by Councillor Morunga.
·
The Chair acknowledged Councillor Morunga for the karakia,
welcomed all present and noted ‘He waka eke noa’; ‘We are all
in this together’.
·
The Chair acknowledged those who had passed, with particular
acknowledgment of the passing of previous FNDC and NRC Councillor Monty Knight.
·
Councillor Carr spoke to Monty Knight’s passing;
referencing his influential contribution to Northland, being an ‘amazing
advocate’ for the region, his ‘fantastic amount of energy’
and ‘amazing capacity for friendship’.
Ngā
whakapāha/Apologies (Item
1.0)
|
Moved (Kitchen/Macdonald)
That the apology from Councillor
Crawford for non-attendance be received.
Carried
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Secretarial Note: Despite tendering an apology
Councillor Crawford joined the meeting for a time via audio visual link.
However, technological issues prevented his audio from being heard by those
present in Chambers.
Nga
whakapuakanga/Declarations of Conflicts of Interest (Item 2.0)
It was advised that councillors should make declarations
item-by-item as the meeting progressed.
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Confirmation of Minutes - 5 November 2025 (Item 5.1)
Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist
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Moved
(Carr/Craw)
That the minutes of the
inaugural council meeting held on 5 November 2025, be confirmed as a true and
correct record and that these be duly authenticated with the Chair’s
electronic signature.
Carried
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Receipt of council
minutes - 23 September 2025 (Item 5.2)
Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist
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Moved (Macdonald/Blackwell)
That the confirmed minutes of
the council meeting held on 25 September 2025 be received.
Carried
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Financial Report to 31 October 2025 (Item 6.1)
Report from Taka Skipwith, Financial Accountant
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Moved (Carr/Craw)
That the report ‘Financial Report to 31
October 2025’ by Taka Skipwith, Financial Accountant and dated 3
November 2025, be received.
Carried
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Secretarial Note:
·
In the four months of the financial year to October 2025
council was $525k ahead of budget; the positive variance was predominately
due to net salary savings.
·
Council’s Managed Fund portfolio had performed well
and in the four months of the financial year had generated 64% of the annual
budget. Annualised returns for the month of October were 14% for the
Long Term Fund and 12% for the Short Term Fund.
·
The recent restructure impacted on council’s budget
reporting. This would be realigned following the next Annual Plan
(given reporting was against the original Annual Plan budgets).
·
Assurance was provided that the contract with MPI for
Caulerpa works set ‘pause/stop milestones’ with the ability to
reassess the programme.
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Regional Rates
Collection - update to 30 September 2025 (Item
6.2)
Report from Simon Crabb, Finance Manager and Taka
Skipwith, Financial Accountant
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Moved (Blackwell/Hunt)
That the report
‘Regional Rates Collection - update to 30 September 2025’ by Simon Crabb, Finance Manager and Taka Skipwith, Financial
Accountant and dated 3 November 2025, be received.
Carried
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Secretarial Note: Commentary from the
district councils was that there were an increasing number of ratepayers
experiencing hardship during the current challenging economic times.
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Confirmation of governance structure,
membership and councillor portfolios (Item
7.1)
Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist
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Moved (Macdonald/Carr)
1. That
the report ‘Confirmation of governance structure, membership and
councillor portfolios’ by Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist and dated
12 November 2025, be received.
2. That Northland
Regional Council establishes the following committees, subcommittees and
working parties:
a. Regional
Transport Committee[1]
b. Infrastructure
Committee
c. Investment
Committee
d. Audit
and Risk Committee
e. Natural
Resources Working Party
f. Biosecurity
and Biodiversity Working Party
g. WDC/NRC
Whangārei Public Transport Working Party
3. That the
Northland Regional Council reaffirms the continuation of Te Ruarangi.[2]
4. That
council approves the Terms of Reference (TOR) for its governance bodies
(included as Attachments 1 - 13). That the TOR be reviewed by
the respective governance bodies at their first meeting and any agreed
amendments be brought back to respective councils for ratification.
Carried
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It was further moved
(Craw/Morunga)
5. That the
council approves the membership of the committees, joint committees,
statutory bodies and working parties, including the appointment of the
Chairperson as ex-officio to all committees and working parties, as set out
in the body of the report and attachments, with the following amendments:
·
That Councillor Macdonald be appointed the
Chair of the Natural Resources Working Party;
and
·
That Councillor Morunga be appointed the
principal member on the Joint Climate Change Adaptation Committee and
Councillor Macdonald be appointed the alternate member.
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The procedural motion
was moved (Carr/Blackwell)
That the appointment of members
to the Natural Resources Working Party should lie on the table until the next
ordinary council meeting; being 17 December 2025.
Carried
(In putting the motion the Chair called for an
expression of opinion by a show of hands, the result being Councillors
Blackwell, Carr, Hunt and Kitchen in favour of the motion and Councillors
Craw, Macdonald and Tipene against).
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A further procedural
motion was moved (Craw/Carr)
That the appointment of members
to the Joint Climate Change Adaptation Committee should lie on the table until
the next ordinary council meeting; being 17 December 2025.
Carried (unanimously)
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Secretarial Note: In accordance with Standing
Order 23.4 ‘Substituted Motion’, with the approval of the mover
and seconder of the original motion the Chairperson put the following
substituted motion:
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Moved (Craw/Morunga)
5. That the
council approves the membership of the committees, joint committees,
statutory bodies and working parties, including the appointment of the
Chairperson as ex-officio to all committees and working parties, as set out
in the body of this report and attachments; with the exception of the Natural
Resources Working Party and Joint Climate Change Adaptation Committee.
Carried
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It was
further moved (Macdonald/Hunt)
6. That the
council appoints councillors to the following River Working Groups in the
following roles:
|
Memberships
/ Delegation
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Councillor
|
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Kāeo-Whangaroa River Working Group
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Cr C Kitchen as Chair (Alternate Cr J Carr)
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Kaihū River Working Group
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Cr J
Blackwell as Chair (Alternate Cr J Carr)
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Kerikeri-Waipapa River Working Group
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Cr J Carr as Chair (Alternate Cr C Kitchen)
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Taumārere River Working Group
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Cr P Tipene
and Community Member as Co-Chairs (Alternate Cr J Carr)
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Urban Whangārei Working Group
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Cr J Craw as Chair, Cr A Morunga (Alternate Cr A
Macdonald)
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Awanui
River Working Group
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Cr J Carr
as Chair (Alternate Cr
C Kitchen)
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7. That the
council confirms the following councillor portfolios:
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Memberships
/ Delegation
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Councillor
|
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Upper North Island Strategic Alliance (UNISA)
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Chair of council
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Zone one
(LGNZ)
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Chair of
council
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8. That Cr J
Hunt be nominated by NRC as a council representative on the Sport Northland
Board of Trustees; for consideration by the Northland Mayoral Forum.
9. That the
appointments detailed in recommendations 5 - 8 above constitutes as the
local authority’s business. Hence appointed members can claim
vehicle and travel time allowances.
10. That the governance structure
established at this meeting be reviewed for effectiveness and possible
improvements after ten months of operation.
11. That based on the allocation
of responsibilities outlined in the body of this report, that the
governance remuneration pool for the Northland Regional Council of $637,493 be fully allocated as
follows:
a) That
the Deputy Chairperson receives a higher duties allowance of $10,000,
bringing the Deputy Chair total salary to $88,436.62.
b) That the remaining councillors receive a
total salary of $78,436.62. This is based on the underpinning
principle of council that additional duties will be apportioned in such a
manner that there will be an equitable workload between councillors.
12. That the higher duties
allocation set out above (supplemented by the appropriate supporting
information), be submitted to the Remuneration Authority.
13. That council appoints WDC Councillor Brad Flower
(principal) and WDC Councillor Crichton Christie (alternate) to the
Regional Transport Committee.
Carried
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Secretarial Note: Councillor
Crawford joined the meeting at 10.29am via audio-visual link. However,
technological issues prevented his audio from being heard by those present
in Chambers.
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Adoption of revised
Standing Orders for the 2025-2028 Triennium
(Item 7.2)
Report from Kyla Carlier, Corporate Strategy Manager
and Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist
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Moved (Macdonald/Kitchen)
1. That
the report ‘Adoption of revised Standing Orders for the 2025-2028
Triennium’ by Kyla Carlier, Corporate Strategy
Manager and Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist and
dated 30 September 2025, be received.
2.
That council adopts the revised Standing
Orders (included as Attachment
One pertaining to Item 7.2 of the 25 November 2025 council meeting agenda).
Carried
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Biosecurity Annual
Report 2024-2025 (Item 7.3)
Report from Don McKenzie, Pou Tiaki Pūtaiao - GM
Biosecurity
|
|
Moved (Craw/Morunga)
1. That the report
‘Biosecurity Annual Report 2024-2025’ by Don
McKenzie, Pou Tiaki Pūtaiao - GM Biosecurity and
dated 3 November 2025, be received.
2. That council
note the contents of the agenda item and attached Biosecurity Annual Report
2023-2024.
3. That council
approves the Annual Report as a record of the actions and results that have
occurred during the 2024-2025 year.
4. That council
approves Don Mckenzie, Group Manager Biosecurity, to make minor grammatical,
typographic and accuracy amendments prior to publication of the Annual
Report.
Carried
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Secretarial Note: The
Biosecurity Team was congratulated for what was described as ‘an
amazing effort for the year’.
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Quarterly Health and Safety Report (Item 8.1)
Report from Tamsin Sutherland, Health and Safety
Advisor
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Moved (Carr/Hunt)
That the report
‘Quarterly Health and Safety Report’ by Tamsin
Sutherland, Health and Safety Advisor and dated 4
November 2025, be received.
Carried
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Secretarial Note:
·
Health and Safety was a key focus for the
regional council given its operational focus with a large proportion of staff
on the road and in the field.
·
The Audit and Risk Committee was delegated authority,
via its Terms of Reference, to monitor council’s health and safety management.
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Chair's Report to
Council (Item 8.2)
Report from Rae Hetaraka, Executive Assistant to the
Chair
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Moved (Carr/Blackwell)
That the report
‘Chair's Report to Council’ by Rae
Hetaraka, Executive Assistant to the Chair and dated 12
November 2025, be received.
Carried
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Chief
Executive’s Report to Council (Item 8.3)
Report from Jonathan Gibbard, Tāhūhū
Rangapū - Chief Executive Officer
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Moved (Craw/Morunga)
That the report ‘Chief
Executive’s Report to Council’ by Jonathan Gibbard,
Tāhūhū Rangapū - Chief Executive Officer and dated 30
October 2025, be received.
Carried
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Secretarial Note:
• The
regulatory services team and district councils were acknowledged for the
notable improvement in the compliance of municipal wastewater treatment
plants (WWTPs).
• Councillors
to be advised the number of WWTPs that were required to sample/test for human
E.coli (information supplied subsequently via e-mail).
• Concern
was raised that MPI needed to be more aggressive in its campaign to eradicate
Yellow Legged Hornet.
• Appreciation
was extended to:
-
The Northland CDEM staff that were deployed to assist with
the severe weather event in Southland;
-
Biosecurity staff for the eradication of Rudd (pest fish)
from Northland; and
-
The communications team for facilitating a successful
elections campaign, culminating in a significant increase in voter turnout.
• Attention
was drawn to Kaipara Moana Remediation project which was described as
‘an extremely successful programme’ delivering significant
results on the ground.
• Confirmation
to be provided that the NRC website included spot spray instructions for
Madagascar Ragwort (affirmative confirmation supplied subsequently via
e-mail).
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Quarterly People and
Culture Report (Item 8.4)
Report from Kayla Ludlow, Human Resources Advisor;
Shane Cleary, People and Culture Manager and Jessica Matson, Human Resources
Advisor
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Moved
(Kitchen/Blackwell)
That the report
‘Quarterly People and Culture Report’ by Kayla
Ludlow, Human Resources Advisor; Shane Cleary, People and Culture Manager and
Jessica Matson, Human Resources Advisor and dated 7
November 2025, be received.
Carried
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Secretarial Note: Councillor
Hunt to be provided further clarification regarding the total staff headcount
((information supplied subsequently via e-mail).
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Reporting on Long
Term Plan 2024-2034 Performance Measures for Quarter One of the 2025/26 Year (Item 8.5)
Report from Robyn Broadhurst, Corporate Planning
Specialist
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Moved (Carr/Macdonald)
That the report
‘Reporting on Long Term Plan 2024-2034 Performance Measures for Quarter
One of the 2025/26 Year’ by Robyn Broadhurst,
Corporate Planning Specialist and dated 3 November
2025, be received.
Carried
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Secretarial Note:
·
Councillors to be provided the analysis of
data and trends for Summer in relation to Lake Omapere.
·
Assurance was provided that council would
be given the opportunity to workshop the Northland Inc. draft Statement of
Intent.
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Receipt of Committee Minutes (Item 9.1)
Report from Meloney Tupou, Māori Governance and
Engagement Support Admin
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Moved (Macdonald/Morunga)
That the unconfirmed minutes of
the:
· Civil
Defence Emergency Management Meeting – 2 September 2025.
· Joint
Regional Economic Development Committee – 26 September 2025 and
· Te
Oneroa-a-Tōhe Board Meeting – 3 October 2025
be received.
Carried
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Working Party Updates
Report (Item 9.2)
Report from Meloney Tupou, Māori Governance and
Engagement Support Admin
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Moved (Macdonald/Kitchen)
That the report
‘Working Party Updates Report’ be received.
Carried
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Kaupapa ā Roto/Business with Public Excluded (Item 10.0)
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Moved (Macdonald/Blackwell)
1.
That the public be excluded from the proceedings of this meeting to
consider confidential matters.
2.
That the general subject of the matters to be considered whilst the
public is excluded, the reasons for passing this resolution in relation to
this matter, and the specific grounds under the Local Government Official
Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution, are as
follows:
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Item No.
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Item Issue
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Reasons/Grounds
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10.1
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Receipt of
confidential council minutes - 23 September 2025
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The public
conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of
information, as stated in the open section of the meeting .
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10.2
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Receipt of
Confidential Committee Minutes
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The public
conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of
information, as stated in the open section of the meeting .
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10.3
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Managed
Funds Investment Management Agreement
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The public
conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of
information, the withholding of which is necessary to protect information
where the making available of the information would disclose a trade secret
s7(2)(b)(i).
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10.4
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Property
Reinvestment Funding for Subdivision Project Due Diligence
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The public
conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of
information, the withholding of which is necessary to protect information
where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably
to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is
the subject of the information s7(2)(b)(ii), the withholding of which is
necessary to enable council to carry out, without prejudice or
disadvantage, commercial activities s7(2)(h) and the withholding of which
is necessary to enable council to carry on, without prejudice or
disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial
negotiations) s7(2)(i).
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3.
That the Independent Advisors be permitted to stay during business
with the public excluded and that representatives from Argyle Estates Limited
be permitted to be in attendance for confidential item 10.4.
Carried
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Open Meeting
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Moved (Kitchen/Macdonald)
That the council resumes in open
meeting.
Carried
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Confirming of confidential
minutes in open meeting
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The
confidential resolutions confirmed in open meeting were as follows:
|
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Receipt of confidential council minutes - 23 September
2025 (Confidential Item 10.1)
Report from Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist
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Confirmation of Confidential Minutes - 27 May 2025 (Confidential Item 10.1)
Report from Meloney Tupou, Māori Governance and
Engagement Support Admin
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Moved
(Craw/Hunt)
1. That
the confidential minutes of the council meeting held on 23 September 2025
be received.
Carried
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Moved
(Carr/Macdonald)
That
the confidential minutes of the council meeting held on 27 May 2025, be
confirmed as a true and correct record and that these be duly authenticated
with the Chair’s electronic signature.
Carried
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Receipt of Confidential Committee Minutes (Confidential Item 10.2)
Report from Meloney Tupou, Māori Governance and
Engagement Support Admin
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Moved (Carr/Kitchen)
1. That
the unconfirmed minutes of the:
· Joint
Regional Economic Development Committee – 26 September 2025
be
received.
Carried
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Managed Funds Investment Management Agreement (Confidential Item 10.3)
Report from Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group
Manager Corporate Services
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Moved
(Craw/Hunt)
1. That
the report ‘Managed Funds Investment Management Agreement’ by Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services and dated 3 November 2025, be received.
2. That
council notes the Investment Management Agreement between Northland Regional
Council and Russell Investments (included as Attachment 2 pertaining to Confidential Item
10.3 of the 25 November 2025 council agenda).
3. That
council delegates authority to the Chief Executive Officer and Group Manager
Corporate Services to sign the Investment Management Agreement.
4. That
council delegates authority to the Chief Executive Officer to make any
necessary minor drafting or typographical corrections to the Investment
Management Agreement prior to signing.
Carried
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Property Reinvestment Funding for Subdivision Project Due
Diligence (Confidential Item 10.4)
Report from Phil Heatley, Strategic & Commercial
Projects Manager
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Moved
(Blackwell/Carr)
1. That the report
‘Property Reinvestment Funding for Subdivision Project Due
Diligence’ by Phil Heatley, Strategic &
Commercial Projects Manager and dated 20 October
2025, be received.
2. That council
authorise spending of up to $385,000 + GST from the Property Reinvestment Fund (PRF) portion
of the Long-Term Investment Fund to undertake integrated due diligence
investigations and design for the subdivision of council’s
13.9ha Fertiliser Road, Whangārei property.
3. That the
holding costs of the Fertiliser Road, Whangārei property are also included in the Project budget, funded from the Property Reinvestment Fund (PRF) shifting
it away from ratepayer funding.
Carried
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Whakamutunga (Conclusion)
The meeting concluded at 11.55am with a karakia by
Councillor Morunga.
Confirmed as a true and correct record 17 December 2025
Chair Pita Tipene