Q. What does the Regional Council do?
A. Hawke's Bay Regional Council works with individuals, community groups, companies, government authorities and local councils to develop a clean and healthy environment. Our responsibility as an environmental manager is to protect the Hawke's Bay land, water, coast and air by allowing sustainable development to take place. This is done through Resource Management Plans, and by issuing and monitoring resource consents to control the impacts of human activities. The Regional Council also has a primary role in flood control and drainage and manages many kilometres of stopbanks and other flood protection works to ensure that land and property are safe. The Regional Council has regulatory roles in plant pest and animal pest control, and emergency management.
Q. How often does the Council meet ?
A. Council meetings are advertised in newspapers and on this website towards the end of each month. The public are welcome to attend formal Regional Council meetings, which are usually held on the third Wednesday of each month. Other Council Committees are held to a regular schedule. Meeting agendas and minutes are available at local libraries, Council offices and this website.
Q. What’s the difference between the Regional, City and District Councils?
A. Firstly, the boundaries of the region are based on river catchments, while district and city council territories are based on population and communities of interest.
Another difference is that the Regional Council concentrates on the 'natural environment' - water, air, land, coastal - with a long-term view to make sure these are used sustainably, and are just as available and just as good (if not better) in the future as they are today. City and district councils concentrate on the 'built environment' and deliver services – such as drinking water, sewage disposal, rubbish disposal, roading networks, swimming pools, libraries and parks - to their local communities. They must also take care of the environment, but in the same way all resource users do - by undertaking activities in accordance with environmental laws and regional plans.
Despite the different objectives of the councils, they are often jointly involved in local projects and in representing their communities at a national level.
Q. What legislation governs the work of the Regional Council?
A. The Resource Management Act 1991 is one of the principal Acts behind the work of Regional Councils and many of our activities are aimed primarily at benefiting the environment. The Regional Council has also taken on responsibility for local government functions that have overall regional benefits - such as public transport, drainage, maritime safety, and plant and animal pest control. The Biosecurity Act 1993, Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, Land Drainage Act 1908, Maritime Transport Act 1994 and Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1945 are all relevant. The Local Government Act 2002 governs the way the Council functions, while the Local Electoral Act 2001 governs election of Councillors. (For a complete list see the LTCCP).