Report of the Policy and Strategy Committee of the Waikato Regional Council held in the Council Chambers, Environment Waikato (Waikato Regional Council) office, 401 Grey Street, Hamilton East at 1.03pm on 10 February 2010.

MEMBERS:	Cr PA Southgate (Chair), Cr AI Armstrong, Cr ID Balme (from 1.07pm), Cr NW Barker, Cr PR Buckley, Cr LB Burdett, Cr JW Fisher, Cr SP Friar, Cr PSJ Gregory, Cr BF Healey, Cr J Hennebry.
STAFF:	Chief Executive Officer (RL Laing), Acting Group Manager, Policy and Strategy (RA Petch), Committee Administrator (C Bang)
APOLOGIES:	Cr RA Neeley, Cr ID Balme for lateness

Accepted

Confirmation of Agenda
(Agenda Item 1)

Cr Buckley moved Cr Fisher seconded

PC10/01

THAT the agenda of the Policy and Strategy Committee of 10 February 2010 as circulated be confirmed as the business for the meeting.

The motion was put and carried (PC10/01)

Disclosures of Interest
(Agenda Item 2)

There were no disclosures of interest noted.

SECTION A: (UNDER DELEGATION FOR THE INFORMATION OF COUNCIL)

Regional Policy Statement: Update
File: 22 10 10C and 22 10 00 (Agenda Item 3) Doc: 1621420
(21 kb, 3 seconds to download, 56k modem)

Cr Healey moved Cr Buckley seconded

PC10/02

THAT the report “Regional Policy Statement: Update” (Doc 1621420 dated 28 January 2010) be received for information.

Programme Manager (B Dickie) presented a progress report on the Regional Policy Statement (RPS) Review and noted the following:

Since the release of the working draft the RPS team has been working on the following: transitioning the project from a technical team to a project encompassing four major streams: delivering a notified version, supporting S32 analysis; justification for the policy directions and methods, a background document and project support.
Political, stake-holder and territorial authority engagement has begun and continues.
Feedback to the document is due by 28 February 2010.
Two Environment Waikato Councillor workshops are scheduled for late March 2010.
District Councils have raised concern about the timing of the RPS and the relationship of plans within the Resource Management Act hierarchy in relation to the requirement for District Councils to give effect to such plans.
District Council’s plans must be “not inconsistent with” the RPS.

The first workshop in March 2010 will consider: the costs of policy direction options, the role of decision making in relation to policy selections, whether policies will achieve the purposes of the Act, and effectiveness and efficiency of policy methods, fiscal and economic costs and the representation of benefits.
The second workshop will consider feedback received from the current consultative phase.

Concern was raised that the timeframe for comment was too tight; it may be difficult for District Councils to provide quality feedback within the timeframes.
Staff were congratulated for their hard work and persistence in addressing district council concerns.
Some Councillors have established RPS review groups in their areas to ensure input and to raise awareness in the area.
The suggestion was put that the project timetable be slowed down in order to allow quality work to be done at the front end and to prevent legal and other issues arising at the back end of the project.
The effects of delaying the project ought to be considered.
The view was raised that extending the timelines may not result in agreement, but rather in more deeply entrenched views and points of difference.
It is necessary to continue to keep dialogue open with Territorial authorities in order to work through issues of concern.
The view was expressed that the issues have been under discussion with territorial authorities and stakeholders for some time.
This is a working draft. Part B is new, but Part A issue and objectives have been well canvassed in workshops.
There is no link between the Regional Land Transport Strategy (RLTS) and District Plans. The RLTS and District Plans are linked through the RPS. Much built environment and spatial planning direction comes through that parallel process.
Councillors are committed to an easy to understand, high quality document being produced and to ongoing dialogue with stakeholders.

The RPS provides a consistent suite of criteria which is subjective in its interpretation. Criteria are set by case law.
The RPS identifies outstanding landscape values on a regional level. District Plans may identify outstanding or high level values at a district level.

The motion was put and carried (PC10/02)

SECTION B: (FOR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL)

Adoption of the Coromandel Peninsula Blueprint: Framework for our Future, and update on the Blueprint project

PC10/03

THAT the report “Adoption of the Coromandel Peninsula Blueprint: Framework for our Future, and update on the Blueprint project” (Doc 1618992 dated 28 January 2010) be received.

District-wide Blueprint has been finalised and adopted by Thames Coromandel District Council. It is anticipated that it will also be adopted by Environment Waikato shortly. It will then be implemented and thereafter its effectiveness tested and measured, and monitoring established.
Local Area Blueprints (LABs) have been contracted out by Thames Coromandel District Council. It is anticipated that they will be finalised by October 2010.
LABs have a spatial focus and are divided into seven areas to cover the entire Peninsula.
Environment Waikato’s input into the LAB process will include harbours and estuaries, catchments, water and soil, natural hazards, biodiversity, land-sea interface, coastal marine areas and marine farming.

Blueprint will be implemented through the RPS.
Staff were commended for their input and hard work throughout this process.

The motion was put and carried (PC10/03)

PC10/03.1

THAT the Policy and Strategy Committee recommend to Council that Volume 1: Volume 2: Implementation Framework; and the Summary document for the Coromandel Peninsula Blueprint: Framework for our Future be adopted.

The motion was put and carried (PC10/03.1)

Submissions to Local Government Commission on Auckland Council Boundary and to Auckland Governance Legislation Committee on the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill (third Auckland Bill)

PC10/04

THAT the report “Submissions to Local Government Commission on Auckland Council Boundary and to Auckland Governance Legislation Committee on the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill (third Auckland Bill)” (Doc 1608080 dated 21 January 2010) be received.

Environment Waikato’s staff submission to the Local Government Commission focused on the regional boundary through the Firth of Thames to ensure that all spat catching and marine farming areas would be in the Waikato region. This submission was consistent with previous submissions on Auckland Governance. It noted small boundary changes proposed near Pukekohe and Waiuku.
Further to receipt of this submission Environment Waikato was asked by the Local Government Commission to comment on Federated Farmers suggestion that regional boundaries be moved to include Paparimu in the Auckland region. As Paparimu is part of Mangatawhiri flood control scheme, staff have a strong preference to keep Paparimu in the Waikato region for flood control purposes.

Concern was raised that the administration of an increased regional area has not been balanced with an increased rate take base.
It was noted that the Federated Farmers boundary suggestion does not include productive farm land and includes about five families.
There is no process for speaking to submissions to the Local Government Commission.
Councillors requested that an additional letter be sent to the Commission raising these concerns.

The Bill ensures that the Waikato region will remain responsible for transport management for the part of Franklin which will become part of the Waikato region. Environment Waikato’s submission supports this proposition.
In relation to Auckland’s spatial plan, Environment Waikato’s submission requests that the Bill ensure integrated growth and development planning across regional boundaries.

It was questioned whether it would be more cost effective for the costs of transport in the Franklin area to remain with Auckland.
Concern was raised that the level of detail, work and research put into the Franklin Strategic Plan might be lost. It was requested that Environment Waikato’s submission comment on the value of that work and the importance of regard being taken to it.
There has not been a lot of political discussion regarding the linking of transport into Auckland.
It is understood that most of the public transport services within Franklin, linking to Auckland will be retained by the Auckland region. It is understood that the Waikato region will not bear substantial additional costs to the regional land transport strategy.
Franklin District Council submitted to the Regional Land Transport Strategy (RLTS) and outlined the need for Environment Waikato to take account of linkages into Auckland in the Waikato’s RLTS.

The motion was put and carried (PC10/04)

PC10/04.1

THAT the Policy and Strategy Committee recommend to Council that it endorse the Submission to the Local Government Commission (Doc 1597827 dated 9 December 2009) with respect to the Commission’s report released on 20 November 2009 titled “Auckland Governance Arrangements: Proposals for Wards, Local Boards and boundaries for Auckland” subject to the submission being amended to include the letter and maps sent to the Local Government Commission to address the Paparimu catchment (Letter: Doc 1617218 dated 20 January 2010. Maps: Doc 1617731 and 1617732) and staff provide an additional letter to the Local Government Commission outlining Environment Waikato’s concerns regarding proposed boundary changes on rating impacts and the areas new to the Waikato region.

The motion was put and carried (PC10/04.1)

PC10/04.2

THAT the Policy and Strategy Committee recommend to Council that the submission to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee (Doc 1606983) with respect to the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill be endorsed.

The motion was put and carried (PC10/04.2)

Franklin District Council request for Environment Waikato to support Unitary Authority status for the district council

1611493

1595440

PC10/05

THAT the report “Franklin District Council request for Environment Waikato to support Unitary Authority status for the district council” (Doc 1611493 dated 18 January 2010) be received.

Some Councillors expressed their sympathy for Franklin’s Mayor and Councillors.
An investigation was undertaken in 2001 regarding the viability of Franklin District becoming a Unitary Authority. At that time it was not considered a cost effective option.
This option for the establishment of a Franklin District Unitary Authority was mooted two days prior to submissions on the matter being due.

The motion was put and carried (PC10/05)

PC10/05.1

THAT the Policy and Strategy Committee recommend to Council that it does not consent to Franklin District Council initiating a proposal to become a Unitary Authority pursuant to the Local Government Act, Schedule 3, Section 1(4)(a).

The motion was put and carried (PC10/05.1)

River Settlement Update

Doc: 1623694

PC10/06

THAT the report “River Settlement Update” (Doc 1623694 dated 3 February 2010) be received for information.

Tai-Ranga-Whenua met with the Waikato-Tainui Implementation Team on 21 January 2010 together with representatives from the Waikato District Council. Discussions focused on the Vision and Strategy, the inter-relations of authorities under the Deed of Settlement, the restructure of the Waikato-Tainui Environment Group within the Guardians Establishment Committee, the development of Joint Management Agreements (JMA), and cross organisation relationships.
Tai-Ranga-Whenua met with Waikato-Tainui reprensentatives on 8 February 2010 to discuss Waikato-Tainui’s priorities. The main priorities include: the health and well being of the river and the mana whakahaere, key deliverables, development of the JMAs, Waikato River Authority and its deliverables, finalising the draft Waikato Tainui Iwi Environmental Plan and relationship building.
It was suggested that it may be useful for the Waikato-Tainui implementation team to make a presentation to the Policy and Strategy Committee regarding the objectives of the Waikato-Tainui Deed of Settlement which form the basis of the Vision and Strategy.

The intention of Waikato-Tainui to have fifty percent iwi commissioner representation on resource consent hearings involving river matters by June 2010 indicates the importance of developing a pool of iwi commissioners.
The Waikato-Tainui Implementation Team has an accord with Te Puni Kokiri and other agencies which advocates and supports iwi commissioner training.

The motion was put and carried (PC10/06)

Meeting closed 2.47pm

Doc 1625647

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Date Printed: 20 September 2007
Page: www.ew.govt.nz/index.asp
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