Paul Bailey: Hawke's Bay Regional Council still faces many challenges

Paul Bailey

It has been just over 12 months since I was elected to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

I have to say it has been a most interesting journey. First up we had to figure out how to best deal with the Ruataniwha dam.

Any number of people had said to me they did not have enough information to make a decision on whether it was a good or bad idea.

That's why I was happy to support a review of the scheme. In the end the dam failed to procure all the land required to be flooded so after the Supreme Court decision the only option we were left with was to end the scheme.

As a community we should never forget the dangers of group think. We have written off some $14 million of dam costs and I suspect there will be a further $7m to come. All because the scheme continued to proceed even though access to the land to be flooded had not been obtained.

It does not matter how confident the supporters of the dam were of their position. The fact is that the decision to proceed will cost the ratepayers of Hawke's Bay some $21m. Such are the dangers of group think.

The appointment of James Palmer as chief executive was a key moment for this council. For me James ticked a lot of boxes.

We now have a captain with his hands on the tiller steering in the direction we require. Sticking to our knitting. Maintaining or enhancing the environment. The new direction of council should be obvious to everyone following our "Hot Spots" consultation.

I'm really excited about what is likely to be in our Long Term Plan. Here's hoping you agree. None of this would have been possible without James in charge.

One issue which I was aware of, but had no idea about its importance, was the council's relationship with local tangata whenua. Living and breathing Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a challenge for any council dominated by a Pakeha world view. But we are required by statute to deal with this issue.

Last week's decision by the regional planning committee (RPC) to not proceed with an amendment to Plan Change 6 should be a wake-up call for everyone. This is not a decision that can be overturned by the regional council so it stands.

What I think many people do not realise is the power that resides in the RPC. The committee is tasked with making recommendations about resource management planning issues to the council. The council can only accept or decline the recommendation. It cannot change the recommendation at all.

So when the TANK Plan Change comes to the RPC heaven help the TANK group if it hasn't given sufficient thought or consideration to Te Tiriti or the overall Maori view of the world.

To my mind the issue for us about the RPC is that we need to properly learn how consensus decision-making works.

It is not just a matter of gaining a sufficient majority around the table, it is also about understanding each others' point of view. Of the four RPC members who voted against the proposal last week, there were two whose motives for voting that way were a mystery to me.This is just not good enough in a consensus decision-making process. I am confident we can, and will, improve as we go along.

But in saying that, because the RPC also consists of the nine councillors, a balance needs to be found that everyone can work with. Personally I'm up for the challenge.

It has been fascinating discovering what the Maori world view means. I'll never forget the lesson that we don't fix Lake Tutira, we restore the health of Tutira. Subtle I know, but that's the level of understanding we need to come to.

For my sins I was appointed ambassador for Tutira. I was told this was a bit of a hospital pass. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Firstly, everyone involved wants the same outcome, a healthy Tutira. That means motivated people are involved.

Secondly, Te Waiu o Tutira was already up and running. This partnership between the Maungaharuru-Tangitu Trust and the regional council is really paying dividends.

Much work has also been done by farmers and landowners in the catchment already.

I'm just riding the wave. But I'll take it.

But it's not all a box of fluffies. There are challenges in front of us that I know cause some angst in the community.

Where is the Port going to find the money needed for its proposed expansion?

How are we going to deal with Plan Change 6 without the dam?

Are we going to be able to handle the ever-increasing public expectations over the environment?

Will I ever be able to take my kids swimming with confidence in Ahuriri Estuary?

As I said to begin with, a most interesting journey. I'm just so grateful for being given the opportunity to be around the table. I'll never forget those who gave me that mandate.

Thank you all so much.

Paul Bailey is a Hawke's Bay regional councillor. Views expressed here are the writer's opinion and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz.