Council stays true to 22-23 plan for HB environment

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is maintaining the momentum of its Long Term Plan work programme consulted on in 2021, so councillors agreed today there is no need to consult on this year’s Annual Plan for 2022-23.

“We are largely on track and staying true to our Long Term Plan, even though we’re affected by COVID and changing variables beyond our control,” says Regional Council chair Rick Barker.

“We foresee no significant changes to our work this year since consulting with the public last year. Having said that we operate in a dynamic space, dealing with natural events, supply issues, cost pressures and other uncertainties. Managing within these constraints may involve some shifts in priorities,” says Mr Barker.

Despite COVID-related challenges with staffing, resource availability and financial pressures, Council management and regional councillors have worked together to optimise how the Council’s environment-focused activities continue to be delivered across the region.

The Council supported a no-consultation approach for this year – an optional activity when an Annual Plan contains no significant rating or service level changes to those already forecast.

The Council also agreed to stay inside the total forecast average rate increase of 15% for 2022-23, as proposed in the 2021-31 Long Term Plan.

According to HBRC chief executive James Palmer the organisation has reviewed every budget area to ensure expenditure remains within budgets, despite increasing cost pressures, and that services are delivered as planned in the year ahead.

“We’re facing the same staff and materials shortages and rising costs as other organisations, so we’re adapting constantly to keep our projects moving forward,” says Mr Palmer.

Some of the Regional Council’s activities signalled for the year ahead include $1m for resilience upgrades to the Napier urban waterway network, additional monitoring for possum control, accelerating the Right Tree Right Place pilot, implementing weed boat harvesting on Karamū Stream, commencing project management for Ahuriri Regional Park, and funding the new Economic Development Agency from the Regional Development Rate.

This is only the second time the Regional Council is taking a no-consultation approach. The first time was in 2019-2020.

30 March 2022

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