From the Strategy, Policy & Finance Committee meeting
Utuhina catchment Climate Impact Modelling report
Andy Bruere from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council presented an overview to the Strategy, Policy & Finance Committee of a new regional council modelling report for the Utuhina catchment that will help to inform flood mitigation and management.
Mr Bruere explained the modelling considered what might happen in the catchment as a result of the impact of climate change alone. It does not include factors such as growth and development.
Maps presented showed the impact of climate change modelling in the case of 50, 100 and 500-year weather events.
A planned response would be required and there could also be opportunities for water quality improvements, Mr Bruere said.
The modelling was the first stage of the process with further modelling and engagement with communities still to be done.
Rotorua Lakes Council’s DCE Infrastructure and Environmental Solutions Stavros Michael said the modelling provided information in relation to the Utuhina catchment that should lead strategic interventions to address emerging effects of climate change and would be factored into infrastructure planning and investment.
Storm events during the past few years indicated the probability of severe weather events happening more frequently was increasing and this was being factored into council infrastructure upgrades and on-site stormwater requirements for developments, he said.
DCE District Development Jean-Paul Gaston JP said the regional council modelling provided an important baseline to start looking at policy and engineering interventions to try and reduce the future likelihood and severity of flooding.
Mr Gaston said Council’s applications to the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund were focused on a 30-year horizon and would enable works to be brought forward which was critical given the higher frequency of severe weather events and the need to manage that risk and meet housing needs, which would include housing intensification.
- Go directly to this portion of the meeting recording via THIS LINK
- View the presentation slides relating to this matter HERE
Westbrook Sport & Recreation Precinct
A report to inform the Committee on work carried out to date and further work planned in relation to the Westbrook Sport and Recreation Precinct concept and future consultation requirements was presented by Sport, Recreation and Environment Manager Rob Pitkethley. The presentation and report were requested by the Committee following previous discussions.
Mr Pitkethley’s comprehensive presentation outlined how the precinct concept came about, the options that were developed for consideration and other reports and investigations completed to date, as well as further investigations and work to be done before the Council would be in a position to make any decisions regarding the Westbrook area.
The committee heard that since the initial work that resulted in the Westbrook precinct concept had been done quite a lot had changed and further information would be crucial before deciding on the future of what was a very large open space with a number of strategic, and potentially competing, values.
DCE District Development Jean-Paul Gaston spoke to the committee about additional considerations that needed to be taken into account in relation to the challenges relating to growth, housing and mitigating the effects of climate change.
He said ultimately, stormwater and climate change mitigation might trump recreation needs and there may be a need for compromises or trade-offs, reiterating that a lot more work needed to be done before decisions could be made.
- View the full report on this matter at p17 of the meeting agenda
- Go directly to this part of the meeting recording via THIS LINK
- View the presentation slides relating to this matter HERE
Support for extending rural kerbside waste collection services
The Committee voted in favour of recommending that Council approve extending kerbside waste collection to Ngākuru, Horohoro and Upper Ātiamuri, to commence in early 2022, as recommended by the Rotorua Rural Community Board.
The board’s chair, Shirley Trumper, and DCE Infrastructure and Environmental Solutions Stavros Michael presented the proposal, outlining the results of engagement and consultation with the Ngākuru, Horohoro and Upper Ātiamuri communities.
Council’s 2021-31 Long-term Plan (LTP) includes provisional funding for the extension of kerbside waste collection services to these communities.
In 2016 new kerbside collection services were launched in urban Rotorua and was extended to rural areas in 2018 after consultation with the rural community. Residents of Ngākuru, Horohoro and Upper Ātiamuri voted against the extension at that point in time but in 2020 there were enquiries about the potential for the extension of services to Ngākuru, resulting in in provision being included in the LTP, subject to community consultation.
Following the Strategy, Policy & Finance Committee’s support for extending rural waste collection services, the matter will now go to the Full Council for final consideration and approval.
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- View the full report on this matter at p31 of the meeting agenda
- View the presentation slides relating to this matter HERE
General RMA Delegations
The Committee voted in favour of recommending that Council confirm that the Chief Executive can exercise the existing Chief Executive’s general delegation in the RMA Delegations Manual where there is no longer, under Council’s new Management Structure, a Council officer holding the position title identified in the Manual.
Following the recent refinement of Council’s Management Structure, a number of position titles currently in the Delegations under the Resource Management Act 1991 Manual (RMA Delegations Manual) no longer match position titles in the new Management Structure.
The RMA Delegations Manual therefore needs to be reviewed to incorporate the new position titles in the Management Structure which will take time to complete. In the meantime, the exercise of delegated powers, duties and functions needs to continue so the recommendation is proposed as an interim approach.
- View the report on this matter at p28 of the meeting agenda