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Consultations

You can find out about how to access our consultation website here, and some information about the hearing process.

Your ideas matter and we'd love to hear them. Share your thoughts to make the Hawke's Bay region an even better place to live - for generations.
All our consultations can be found on our designated consultation website.

Find out more about our current consultations here.

The Hearings Process

If you make a submission to a Regional Council consultation, you may be asked if you would like to attend a hearing. This means that you will be able to present a summary in support of your submission to a hearing panel of elected representatives who may then have questions they would like to ask you.

How do I attend a hearing?

Indicate on the submission form requesting to speak at a hearing in support of your submission.

A schedule of hearings will be produced once it is known how many people would like to speak. You will then be contacted by the council to confirm dates, locations and times. You can decide not to attend a hearing at any stage, but it is helpful if you can let the council know so that the hearings can be rescheduled as necessary.

Please ensure that you provide a daytime phone number and email address on your submission form to ensure that the council can reach you easily.

Where and when will the hearings take place?

The location of hearings will depend on the project, some hearings may take place locally.

The hearings generally take place during the working week.

What happens when I arrive?

If the hearing is being held at Council’s Dalton Street office, you will be asked to sign-in at Reception and then directed to take a seat in the public seating area. When it is time for you to speak, you  will be asked to stand and talk through a microphone.

Who will be there to hear my submission?

Usually, your submission will be heard by elected representative councillors. The names of those who are on the hearing panel will be clearly displayed. In addition, there will usually be council officers who may take notes or be there to provide answers to specific questions.

The hearings are open to members of the public so other members of the public may attend, and the media are also invited.

Sometimes, the hearing is also filmed or taped. You will be advised if this is happening at the hearing.

What should I say at the hearing?

You should give a brief summary of your submission. You should not read the whole submission, nor should you use this as an opportunity to talk about different issues.

Each person who wants to speak at a hearing is given 10 minutes to speak and to answer questions asked by the hearing panel. More than one person can speak in support of a submission but there is a fixed amount of time for each submission so you will need to share the ten minute allocation.

You will be advised how long you will have to speak when the council confirms the hearing arrangements with you.

How do I find out what other people are speaking about?

Information on the submissions received will be made available on the council’s website before the hearing.

What do I do if I change my mind about coming to a hearing?

We will acknowledge your submission providing an opportunity to change your mind and providing contact details to do so.

This gives you the opportunity to attend a hearing even if you said ‘no’ on the submission form, or to change your mind if you said ‘yes’ on the submission form.

What happens after the hearing?

The council will consider all the information it receives through the written submissions and verbal hearings.

It will take into account the feedback it received and decide whether any changes will need to be made to the draft policy or plan to reflect that feedback.

The final policy or plan will be published on the council’s website once it has been adopted by Council.

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While every endeavour has been taken by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council to ensure that the information on this website is accurate and up to date, Hawke's Bay Regional Council shall not be liable for any loss suffered through the use, directly or indirectly, of information on this website. Information contained has been assembled in good faith. Some of the information available in this site is from the New Zealand Public domain and supplied by relevant government agencies. Hawke's Bay Regional Council cannot accept any liability for its accuracy or content. Portions of the information and material on this site, including data, pages, documents, online graphics and images are protected by copyright, unless specifically notified to the contrary. Externally sourced information or material is copyright to the respective provider.

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