Council decisions
22 February 2023
Council votes to withdraw support for Representation Arrangements Bill
Today at their full Council meeting, elected members voted in favour of withdrawing support for the Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill. Mayor Tania Tapsell will now write to the Māori Affairs Select Committee to advise that Council support for the Bill is withdrawn.
This means the current representation model (a Māori ward with 3 elected members, a general ward with 6 elected members, a rural ward with 1 elected member) will remain in place until the next representation review is undertaken. Council is required to undertake a representation review at least every six years.
The Bill has been on hold, having been partly progressed through Parliament.
The report considered by Council today summarised what has occurred to date regarding the Bill and recommended that Council write to the Māori Affairs Select Committee to either withdraw or confirm its support for the Bill.
Mayor Tapsell alongside Councillors Sandra Kai Fong, Conan O’Brien, Robert Lee, Don Paterson, Gregg Brown, Karen Barker, Fisher Wang, and Lani Kereopa voted to withdraw support for the Bill.
Councillor Rawiri Waru voted in favour of confirming support for the Bill.
Councillor Maxwell had given his apologies for this meeting.
Go to p37 of the meeting agenda to see the full report relating to this matter.
Watch this part of the meeting on our livestream recording HERE.
Financial update
A report prepared for today’s Council meeting outlined Rotorua Lakes Council’s financial performance for the six months to 31 December 2022, noting key challenges in the current operating environment that have significantly impacted the council’s financial position.
The report recommended that staff continue to work to find additional cost saving initiatives to reduce the residual forecast operating deficit and deliver a full year financial position within the limits agreed in the 2022/23 Annual Plan.
Council voted unanimously in favour of both recommendations within the report:
- That, noting operating pressure relating to Emergency Housing, Plan Change 9, Inflation and Roading Weather Events and the cost-saving initiatives to date, Council staff will continue to identify options to achieve budget targets within their financial delegations AND;
- That at the next Council meeting, staff will present cost saving options through the reduction of Council’s level of service to the community in order to achieve budget targets.
The cost saving options will be presented at the full Council meeting on 29 March 2023.
Go to p19 of the meeting agenda to see the full report relating to this matter.
Watch this part of the meeting on our livestream recording HERE.
View the presentation slides relating to this report HERE.
BOP Mayoral Forum Triennial Agreement
Today Council endorsed the Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum Triennial Agreement 2022 – 2025.
The Local Government Act 2002 (LGA) requires all local authorities within each region to enter into a Triennial Agreement.
The proposed Triennial Agreement for the 2022-2025 triennium is based on the existing Agreement, with streamlining of some provisions to be more succinct, and raising the intent of the agreement between Councils.
The agreement recognises the importance of local government authorities working together to improve the Bay of Plenty and represents the shared desire of local government in the region to work collaboratively to maximise effectiveness and efficiency and promote wellbeing in our communities.
Go to p24 of the meeting agenda to see the report relating to this matter, which includes a copy of the agreement.
Watch this part of the meeting on our livestream recording HERE.
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