​Key outcomes from Ordinary Council meeting 30 October 2024

You can watch the recording of the meeting on Council’s YouTube channel.

The agenda and tabled documents are online.

Please note that these notes are informal notes on the key outcomes from the meeting. The formal minutes and official record will be endorsed at the next council meeting.

Minutes and Committees – Council endorsed the minutes of several meetings and committees including the ordinary and extra ordinary council meetings in September, Strategy Planning and Regulatory Committee, Performance and Delivery Committee, Regional Transport Committee, Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum, Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, Regional Transport Committee and Coast Community Board.

Papers also included the regular reports from the CEO and Mayor.

There was public-excluded business that covered in-committee minutes from the September meeting, Evolution Networks, and notes from council workshops.

Public submissions – there were no speakers in the public forum.

Adoption of Ōpōtiki District Council 2024-2034 Long Term Plan and Revenue and Financing Policy – Council adopted the LTP and several associated policies and documents including the Revenue and Financing Policy. You can read more about this decision and some additional comment from the mayor in the media release. There was extensive feedback and acknowledgement of the work to date from the auditors, with particular note that the first three years of the LTP are ‘not balanced budgets’ because operating revenues will not cover operating expenses. This approach was adopted in the council resolutions and there is further explanation in the council paper itself.

Setting of 2024-2025 Rates, Due Dates for payment and Penalties Regime - The Rates Resolution is the legal document for setting rates and must be consistent with the LTP to be effective. The Rates Resolution sets the dates for rates payments and also provides authorisation for penalties to be charged on non-payment by the due date.

Adoption of Eastern Bay Spatial Plan Governance Terms of Reference – The Eastern Bay Spatial Plan recently reviewed its structure and recommended changes to be more efficient and effective. One of the key changes has been to adjust the Terms of Reference of the Project Governance Group (PGG) to take a more active role to deliver to key milestones. This paper approved that governance change and matches resolutions made by the other three councils working together on this Plan.

Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Review 2024 – A recent Waste Assessment identified gaps and new challenges for council to ensure we continue to align with national waste minimisation initiatives. Following this review and feedback from the Medical Officer of Health, council has decided to revoke its existing Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) and start the process of developing a new one.

National guidance on waste management has changed significantly in recent years and so has Ōpōtiki’s own ‘waste profile’ (how much and what sort of waste the district generates). This means we have new challenges and potentially new solutions to consider as we generate this plan. There will be more information about this project in the coming months.