Councillor Peter Beavan.
Hawke's Bay regional councillor Peter Beaven has resigned from the Heretaunga and Ahuriri land and water management group.
The group, called Tank - named after the four catchment areas - is comprised of a collaborative group of stakeholders all of whom have an interest in how the water is used.
It was established to facilitate discussions to assist the council in reviewing the way land and water resources are managed in the Greater Heretaunga and Ahuriri area, where 85 per cent of the Hawke's Bay population live and work.
At this week's Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC) meeting the issue of the Tank group leadership was raised with some members apprehensive of the style and form of leadership.
This has led one of the stakeholders, the local branch of the Department of Conservation, to reassess the degree of its participation in Tank.
To address the leadership issue, members present at meeting 18 did recommend that Mr Beaven take on a role of "interim co-ordinator of the Tank group" for the next meeting. It was noted in the report to council that a concern was expressed that he may have a conflict or be perceived to have a bias - but to what exactly was not explicitly described.
Talking at the meeting, HBRC chairman Fenton Wilson said it was unfair that Mr Beaven had been put in this position to take on such a role.
"Because you do have a conflict - you are a director at Pip Fruit New Zealand," he said. "I am sure you absolutely act with the upmost integrity, in fact I would be highly surprised if you didn't, but not everyone around that table is going to see that.
"And when push comes to shove, it's going to become an issue."
Mr Wilson said with the exception of one person on the day voting against Mr Beaven taking on the role of interim co-ordinator, if he was present there would have been two votes. "Even though my vote wouldn't have counted," he said.
In response to this, Mr Beaven made it known that in light of these comments it was his intention to resign from Tank.
Councillor Rex Graham, in a post-meeting interview, expressed more than displeasure at the situation.
"I think it is outrageous that the regional council have overturned a decision made by the major community stakeholders in the Heretaunga," he said.
He said Tank made a decision to move the group forward and appoint someone to lead discussions in the interim.
"Only one person votes against that and that is Christine Scott, and then the regional council overturn the decision [made by Tank]."
Mr Graham said what made it even more frustrating was the decision not to support Mr Beaven was made by people outside the Heretaunga rohe.
Mr Beaven said if Mr Wilson failed to see that he could not act for the community at large for fear of perceived bias because of his other roles, then he had no place on Tank.
"I just don't think it is appropriate for me to be there any more," he said.
The HBRC's broader role on Tank was also questioned at the meeting. "It is questionable if the council has taken a sufficient 'leader' role in discussions to date," said the report to council.