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14 November 2025 |
MINUTES OF Western Bay of Plenty District
Council
Council No. CO25-1
HELD IN THE Council Chambers, 1484 Cameron Road, Tauranga
ON Friday, 14 November 2025 AT 2.30pm
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Whakatau mai te wairua Whakawātea mai te hinengaro Whakarite mai te tinana Kia ea ai ngā mahi
Āe |
Settle the spirit Clear the mind Prepare the body To achieve what needs to be achieved. Yes |
2 Present - Ngā mema kei konei
Mayor J Denyer, Cr G Dally, Cr R Joyce, Cr D Dinsdale, Cr L Rae, Cr A Sole, Cr S Beech and Cr G Elvin
3 In Attendance - I tae ake
M Taris (Interim Chief Executive), B Singh (General Manager Infrastructure Services), M Potton (Acting General Manager Corporate Services), A Henderson (Programme Director – Water Organisation), A King (Programme Manager - Water Organisation Establishment), E Wentzel (Director Waters), R Garrett (Governance Manager), R Leahy (Senior Governance Advisor), J Duncan (Governance Coordinator) and P Osborne (Senior Governance Advisor).
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Resolution CO25-1.1 Moved: Cr A Sole Seconded: Cr L Rae That the apology for absence from Cr Coxhead and Cr Murray-Benge be accepted. |
5 Consideration of Late Items - Ngā take tōmuri
Nil
6 Declarations of Interest – Ngā tukitukinga
Nil
7 Public Excluded Items - Ngā take tapu
Nil
8 Public Forum - Wāhanga tūmatanui
Nil
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This item was deferred to the 25 November 2025 Council meeting. |
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9.2 Local Waters Done Well - endorsement of summary plan and appointment of members for the Elected Members Governance Group |
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Council considered a report dated 14 November 2025 from the Programme Manager - Water Organisation Establishment. The Programme Director - Water Organisation started the meeting by reporting that the Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) had been approved by the Department of Internal Affairs. This was good news, noting that the WSDP outlined the steps Council would take between now and establishment, therefore progress could continue. The Programme Manager – Water Organisation Establishment provided an overview of the report and the recommendations therein. Staff responded to pātai as follows: · Council had not yet finalised the “boundary” in relation to Stormwater, noting that staff would come back to Councillors in relation to the potential assets to be transferred from the stormwater activity. · In relation to “stranded costs”, it was confirmed that this did go beyond Local Waters Done Well. Staff would be working with the Local Waters Done Well (LWDW) Working Group, as well as Council, to determine what activity would be carried out by what part, noting that this would clarify how it would be stranded. · The statement around engaging with Tangata Whenua was to ensure the existing Council policies relating to partnership approaches, engagement and consultation would be carried over to the new entity. · The hui scheduled for Thursday 20 November, was an opportunity for the Tangata Whenua Forums from both Tauranga City Council (TCC) and Western Bay of Plenty District Council (WBOPDC) to come together and discuss which members would form a working group with councillors. · The decision around whether the Tangata Whenua representation was skilled or hapū based was to be determined by Tangata Whenua themselves. · There was potential for five representatives for Tangata Whenua to join the working group · The terms relating to the reporting frequency and approach, was a decision that staff envisaged the working group and Councillors coming to agreement on. Staff suggested that a weekly update would be beneficial. · The purpose of the working group would be to help facilitate some of the pātai and ensure that there was a consensus (where possible) on direction moving forward. · The rationale for the weekly update, was in response to the need to be more agile than the current Council meeting schedule allowed. · The proposed membership for the joint working group was five TCC representatives, five WBOPDC representatives and five Tangata Whenua representatives. · An independent facilitator had been appointed to the joint working group. · It was clarified that the Mayor could nominate another member however, this nomination would still need to come back to Council for endorsement, just as it has in recommendation three. · The following clarity was provided: o The CEO Group comprised of the TCC and WBOPDC Chief Executives; o The Project Steering Group comprised of Christine Jones (TCC) and Adele Henderson (WBOPDC); and o The Project Team involved staff from across the business that were focused on this specific kaupapa.
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Resolution CO25-1.2 Moved: Cr R Joyce Seconded: Cr D Dinsdale 1. That the Programme Manager - Water Organisation Establishment’s report dated 14 November 2025 titled ‘Endorsement of summary plan and appointment of members for the Elected Members Governance Group’, be received. 2. That the report relates to an issue that is considered to be of low significance in terms of Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. |
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Resolution CO25-1.3 Moved: Cr G Elvin Seconded: Cr G Dally 3. That Council endorses the “Multi-Council Water Organisation Summary Plan (including Due Diligence)” (Attachment 1 of this report). |
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Councillor Rae voted against the motion and requested for her vote against to be recorded. |
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Resolution CO25-1.4 Moved: Cr R Joyce Seconded: Cr S Beech 4. That Council appoints the following elected members to the joint Elected Member Governance Group: · Mayor James Denyer · Councillor Grant Dally · Councillor Rodney Joyce · Councillor Graeme Elvin · Councillor Darlene Dinsdale 5. That Council agrees to the appointment of Lyall Thurston as the independent facilitator for the Joint Elected Member Governance Group. 6. That Council agrees that the elected members on the Elected Member Governance Group are also the members on the Western Bay of Plenty District Council Elected Members Working Group (WBEMWG). |
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Councillor Rae voted against the motion and requested for her vote against to be recorded. |
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Resolution CO25-1.5 Moved: Cr G Dally Seconded: Mayor J Denyer 7. That Council approves the “Western Bay of Plenty District Council Elected Members Working Group – Terms of Reference” (Attachment 2 of this report). |
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Councillor Rae voted against the motion and requested for her vote against to be recorded. |
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Resolution CO25-1.6 Moved: Mayor J Denyer Seconded: Cr R Joyce 8. That Council endorses partnering with IAWAI for the replacement of the Watercare IT system that is no longer being supported from August 2026, noting that a business case and supplier recommendations will come to Council for a decision in December 2025. |
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Councillor Rae voted against the motion and requested for her vote against to be recorded. |
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Resolution CO25-1.7 Moved: Cr G Elvin Seconded: Cr D Dinsdale 9. Council supports paying meeting fees and negotiated additional resourcing to enable Tangata Whenua participation in establishment planning for the proposed Multi-Council Water Organisation, as anticipated in the “Multi-Council Water Organisation Summary Plan (including Due Diligence)” (Attachment 1 of this report). 10. Notes that the Tangata Whenua meeting fee will be in line with other agreed meeting fees, and delegates to the Chief Executive to approve the meeting fees and additional resourcing costs (funded from the Water Organisation Establishment Budget). |
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Councillor Rae voted against the motion and requested for her vote against to be recorded. |
10 Information for Receipt - Kōrero te whiwhia
Nil
The Meeting closed at 2.55pm.
Confirmed as a true and correct record at the Council meeting held 16 December 2025.
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Mayor J Denyer
CHAIRPERSON / MAYOR