Key outcomes from Ordinary Council meeting 4 February 2025

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

Please note these 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 or received the minutes of several meetings and committees including the December Council meeting, December Extra Ordinary council meeting, Performance and Delivery Committee meeting, Risk and Assurance Committee, Coast Community Board meeting, Chief Executive’s Performance Committee Meeting, Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee meeting, and Regional Transport Committee.

Papers also included the regular reports from the CEO and Mayor and an update from the Ōpōtiki Marine Advisory Group (OMAG).

Public submissions – Richard Kemeny (Kutarere Community Water Board) spoke to council about the recent upgrades to the community-managed Kutarere Water supply and the ongoing issues with increased costs and workloads of managing the scheme. He noted that part of the general rate paid for all properties went towards managing water supplies across the whole district, but Kutarere users had to pay their own water costs on top of that. The Mayor thanked Mr Kemeny and acknowledged it was an area councillors were passionate about with more changes likely through the new Local Water Done Well changes and Taumata Arowai.

Regional Economic Development Agency Trust Exemption - Toi EDA is currently exempt from being a Council Controlled Organisation to operate efficiently as a small organisation. This council paper was adopted so that ToiEDA Council can continue this exception for another three years under section 7 of the Local Government Act 2002.

Appointment of commissioners to hear and decide on resource consent applications – because of the strict legislative timeframes to process consent applications, it is helpful to have a list of appointed Commissioners that can be called to do this in a timely manner. This report provides a list of accredited commissioners who may be given delegated authority to hear and decide resource consents.

Public excluded business – council confirmed in-committee meeting minutes and workshop minutes. Also discussed in confidential was the LTP audit fee, the Eastern Bay of Plenty Regional Deal Proposal, and the Chief Executive’s 12 Month Performance Review.