Key outcomes from Ordinary Council meeting 5 July 2025
You can watch the recording of the meeting on Council’s YouTube channel.
Please note these are informal notes on the key outcomes from the meeting. The formal minutes and official record will be endorsed at the next council meeting.
Minutes and Committees – Council endorsed or received the minutes of several meetings and committees including the June Council meeting, the June Extra Ordinary council meeting, Performance and Delivery Committee meeting, Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum, Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee meeting, and received the draft minutes from the recent Coast Community Board meeting.
Papers also included the regular reports from the Chief Executive and Mayor.
The Mayor opened the meeting with a thank you to the community for the response to recent flooding events in and around Ōpōtiki. In particular, the hapū, iwi and marae who came together to look after and host those trapped in areas due to closed roads and heavy rain.
The minutes of the last council meeting opened more general discussion about messaging from central government that changes were coming to the RMA and other legislation. However, council must work to the legislation that is currently in place and until new guidelines are provided.
Discussion on the draft Coast Community Board minutes also highlighted the extensive works on Māori roadways and the costs and resource required to maintain and clear slips and other issues, particularly after the last heavy rain event.
Councillor Brooks also noted that through his role on the Road Safety Committee, he had circulated a letter for the Minister of Transport asking that the bridge at Matekerepu be replaced at the same time as current works on the new roundabout.
Public submissions – no public submissions.
Proposed 2024-25 Project Carry Forwards – As part of the Long-Term Plan 2024-34, Council budgeted for a range of capital and operational expenditure projects to be delivered in the 2024-2025 financial year. Due to the late adoption of the LTP, a portion of this budget remained unspent as at 30 June 2025. Council voted to allow this budget to be carried forward into this year.
There was wider discussion about the difference between loan funding, operational funding and direct and indirect impacts on rates increases, next year’s proposed rates rises, and the process and options for reducing that impact.
Industrial Land Assessment for Ōpōtiki – the paper included the report ‘Ōpōtiki Industrial Land Analysis – February 2025’ identifying nine potential sites for industrial growth in the Ōpōtiki township area and feedback from the owners of these sites. Council voted to carry out site-specific assessments before starting a plan change process.
However, as the coalition government has announced that it will introduce legislation to suspend certain future and ‘in-train’ planning processes under the RMA, councillors voted to amend the recommendations in the report so that a letter could be sent to the Minister before undertaking this work. The letter to is check whether council’s approach and process aligns with government intention before carrying out the assessments.
Dangerous, Affected and Insanitary Buildings Policy Renewal – All councils are required to have a policy to ensure that buildings are safe for their intended use and sets out how council will approach the issue – how council defines an unsafe or insanitary building, how they will be identified, and what actions council will take. The revised policy is out for consultation from 6 August 2025 until 3 September 2025 and you can read more about it and provide feedback on council’s Hono Mai page.
Public excluded business – council confirmed in-committee meeting minutes and workshop notes.
