Latest news with #BayDistrictCouncil
The Spinoff
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
David Seymour blames karakia for high power bills. Here's what he gets wrong
In a speech this morning, the deputy prime minister said 'blaming isn't productive', then proceeded to link 'roadblocks' such as cultural clauses in resource consents to rates rises leading to high inflation. Liam Rātana takes a different view. This morning, speaking at the 2025 Local Government New Zealand Conference, deputy prime minister David Seymour told a room full of local government workers that karakia and cultural impact assessments were part of the reason why power prices and food bills were high. He prefaced this by stating 'blaming isn't productive'. What followed was a barrage of finger pointing and blame-shifting. Rates increases – mostly attributable to a need for local councils to address central government's underinvestment on critical infrastructure – were picked as a key driver of inflation. In what was a confused speech, Seymour also acknowledged many of the costs facing councils weren't of their own making. What really caught my attention, though, was Seymour's plan for council and communities – particularly the point on reform of the Resource Management Act. It was here Seymour took his chance to criticise his own culture: 'You and your ratepayers want renewable energy but the consenting process demands ceremonial chanting and spreadsheet-level detail about every shrub on site.' Seymour was referring to a clause included in a resource consent granted by Central Hawke's Bay District Council to Centralines Limited for the construction of a solar farm in Ongaonga. The 'demand' for ceremonial chanting cited by Seymour refers to a clause in the resource consent stating: 'The consent holder shall invite mana whenua to perform karakia for any native trees or plants that need to be removed from the site.' This consent also included a construction condition that states the consent holder must invite mana whenua at least 10 working days prior to the commencement of any works to perform a pre-construction karakia. A similar clause in a resource consent granted to Swedish furniture giant Ikea for the construction of its store in Sylvia Park was referred to by Seymour. In this instance, the consent stated: 'The consent holder must invite representatives of mana whenua groups… to undertake cultural monitoring, karakia and other such cultural ceremonies on the site' for the pre-start meeting, commencement of earthworks, and immediately prior to the completion of bulk earthworks across the site. While highlighting these clauses as unnecessary 'red tape' and 'roadblocks', Seymour says his changes will put 'power back with communities'. I wonder which communities he's talking about? From the resource consent for IKEA in Sylvia Park. This is the kind of fluff that ties up consenting processes and makes everything we do slow and costly in New Zealand. — Simon Court (@SimonCourtACT) June 27, 2025 A spokesperson for an energy company who was involved with a similar solar project said the clauses Seymour was referring to were 'pretty normal' and if companies want to create strong relationships in development projects, they put in place these types of conditions through mutual agreement. For the project this company was involved with, the spokesperson said their company had actually requested mana whenua be onsite weekly to provide cultural monitoring and build cultural capacity of the site team. 'If the developers weren't happy with this decision, they would have an opportunity to raise this during the resource consent application process, and if it wasn't resolved during that process then they can appeal the decision,' the spokesperson said. In the case of the resource consents granted to both Ikea and Centralines Limited, the requirement is to simply extend an invite to mana whenua representatives in advance of milestone dates that are normally identified well before the day. On a practical level, it's as simple as making a phone call or sending an email. If there's no response received, the work goes ahead. I can almost guarantee mana whenua will not be there to perform a karakia for the removal of every native tree, nor will the companies be cutting them so regularly that they need to extend an invite to mana whenua every other day. The most likely scenario is that a number of trees will be identified well in advance, an invitation to mana whenua extended, and a single karakia performed for several trees prior to their removal. If mana whenua representatives do wish to conduct a karakia or a similar ceremony, the whole process would normally take no longer than an hour or two, at most. It is misleading for the deputy prime minister to claim these are the roadblocks halting development and hiking the price of energy and food. Besides karakia, Seymour also attacked cultural impact assessments. These are often provided by mana whenua for consent applications or works involving sites of cultural significance. The reports document the cultural values, interests and associations mana whenua have with an area or a resource, and the potential impacts of a proposed activity on these. Seymour's criticism of cultural impact assessments made me wonder just how many he has actually been a part of. Perhaps the minister of regulation's negative perspective of these reports is due to a lack of understanding or lived experience. In a previous job, I was privileged enough to be part of training mana whenua to carry out cultural impact assessments and took part in the drafting of some reports too. Contrary to Seymour's belief, these assessments aren't some prohibitive cultural gobbledygook. While they aren't always a statutory requirement for resource consent applications, these reports can serve an important role in meeting legal obligations – particularly under the Resource Management Act. Importantly, cultural impact assessments also help to foster stronger relationships and better communication between applicants and tangata whenua, and help identify potential adverse effects early. Seymour's criticisms reminded me of a pūrākau about the story of Rata, a chief from Savai'i in Samoa who is attributed with the construction of the waka we know today as the Takitimu. The story goes that Rata was eager to construct a waka, so he ventured high into the mountains and found the two best trees for his waka. Rata cut down the trees, only to return the next day to find them standing. This happened multiple times before Rata finally learned that the children of Tāne were reassembling the trees in the night because Rata had not given thanks or performed the correct incantations. For Seymour and his supporters, this might be a pointless tale of folklore but for me, it's a reminder that tikanga Māori was here in Aotearoa long before resource consent applications and cultural impact assessment reports.
Scoop
12-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
'Stronger Together' – Hawke's Bay Councils Seek Feedback On Preferred Model For Delivering Water Services
Press Release – Hawke's Bay Regional Recovery Agency Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the work undertaken by councils to date and the feedback now being sought from communities were critical in what would be a significant decision by the four councils. Residents across Hawke's Bay are now invited to have their say on what will be an intergenerational decision, as public consultation officially opens on the region's preferred model for delivering water services to communities in the future. At a series of council meetings last month, Central Hawke's Bay District Council, Hastings District Council, Napier City Council and Wairoa District Council each endorsed a joint water services organisation as the most cost-effective, efficient and resilient option for delivering drinking water, wastewater and urban stormwater services and meeting the requirements of the Government's Local Water Done Well reforms. Two alternative options are also being presented for public feedback. Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the work undertaken by councils to date and the feedback now being sought from communities were critical in what would be a significant decision by the four councils. 'Water is one of the most essential services we provide as councils – be it safe drinking water from the tap, reliable wastewater systems that protect public health, or stormwater networks that mitigate the damage from increasingly frequent extreme weather. 'Managing these services well is critical to how we live, work, and thrive and I am confident I speak on behalf of my fellow mayors and elected members when I say that the decision to endorse a joint water services organisation is not one we have taken lightly.' She said the decision was about more than pipes and pumps. 'It's about future-proofing the region for generations to come'. Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker said the regional option was the strongest one. 'We're in a perfect storm in Central Hawke's Bay. We're having to invest in catch-up from underinvestment in past, meet growing regulatory expectations and invest for the future all at the same time. 'The cost per household for Central Hawke's Bay is the highest across the region. It's very clear the model is not a silver bullet to our affordability issues, but in the current legislative environment, we are stronger together as Hawke's Bay. It gives us the best chance of resolving these issues.' She said it's important to note that not all decisions have been made, either at a local or national level. 'Changes to things like wastewater standards will have a material effect on the cost to our households but are still yet to be completed and put into legislation.' Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise reflected on the strong regional collaboration behind this milestone and the importance of public input at this stage. 'We've been working together on water services reform since 2018, with a shared commitment to what is best for our communities both now, and for future generations. 'The modelling clearly shows that coming together as a region to collectively deliver water services would enable enhanced delivery and capability, increase resilience, and provide better value for money across all four council areas – but before any decisions are finalised, we need to hear from the people who use and pay for these services.' Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said while a joint water services organisation, owned by all four councils, could make full use of the benefits of working collaboratively as a region, there is a lot of detail to work through yet. 'Under these Government reforms, there are options for councils to go it alone or join together with any number of others. 'There are pros and cons of each option, and work done to date indicates there are efficiencies through the scale of a regional model. In each corner of Hawke's Bay, there are unique needs and considerations that would need to be factored into any regional entity in order for it to best serve all communities.' He said for Wairoa, consultation material emphasises the importance of local voice and local representation in decision-making as key components of any future model. Each council has published its own consultation materials, including details specific to the services and costs in their area. Submissions will close at 5pm, Sunday 15 June. Residents are encouraged to review these documents carefully and make a submission via their local council website or submission portal. Mayor Wise said there is still a lot of work to do and at this stage councils are simply looking for a temperature gauge: go it alone or work together across the region. 'Making a final decision on how we deliver water services will be made by councils towards the end of July. Following that we will need to fine tune the chosen model and define what things will look like in detail, and this will take time. 'This is your opportunity to ask questions, consider the future you want to see for your council area and the wider region, and have your say.'
Scoop
25-04-2025
- General
- Scoop
How A Rare Cannon Became A Cherished Symbol Of Waipawa History
It's not the fact Central Hawke's Bay District Council owns a rare 20th-century cannon - it's what it's choosing to do with it. No, it's not putting it on its southern border to ward off amalgamation with Tararua. Nor is it swinging it around on its northern border to keep Hastings and the rest of Hawke's Bay out. Instead it has decided to allow the Central Hawke's Bay community to give the 1913 105mm German Field Gun the tender, love and care it needs, so it can sit proudly under the Waipawa town clock for its community to visit on Anzac Day. The gun, first produced in 1896, was captured by units of the First NZ Expeditionary Force during World War I. It was later returned to New Zealand and presented to Waipawa by the Government. Waipawa and District RSA chair Terry Kingston said the cannon had needed a spruce up so the RSA came to the party. 'Our committee had some excess funds so we decided to pay for the canon to have a refurbishment so it was looking good for Anzac Day,' Kingston said. 'We wanted to put the money to good use and knew at this stage any redo of council's assets wouldn't be done for a couple of years. 'So we decided to do something for the community and save ratepayers money at the same time.' But when staff at Longridge Panel Beating, Painting and Engineering in Waipukurau began sandblasting it the makeover became a much bigger job as rust and holes in the steal were exposed. Kingston said after inspecting the damage in conjunction with the council it was decided that fundamental repairs would be carried out to ensure the historic cannon would last not just for this generation, but more to come. 'It took longer than we thought and of course that increased the cost which ended up at just under $10,000. 'It's an important piece of war history and we felt it was worth the effort.' Council contributed about $900 for work around the site at the Waipawa town clock. The last time it had some work done on it was in 1981 when a community work scheme, with help from public donations, paid for repairs. On Anzac Day in 1982 it was returned to the community to serve as part of NZ Military history. Mayor Alex Walker said CHBDC has worked in partnership with the Waipawa RSA for decades to look after memorials and the annual Anzac Civic services. 'It will be lovely to see the cannon with a new coat of paint.' As well as the cannon, the Hatuma War Memorial, near Waipukurau has also been reinstalled after vandals damaged it in April last year. The cost to repair it was $4522. Walker said the memorial was a sacred reminder of the sacrifices made by brave locals. 'It being vandalised was deeply upsetting, but seeing the community come together (at the unveiling) reaffirms our shared commitment to honouring our heritage,' Walker said. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
