​Key outcomes from Ordinary Council meeting 17March 2026

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. The agenda and (when confirmed) the minutes are available on the council website.

Minutes and Committees – Council confirmed the minutes from the February Council meeting and received the minutes from several committees including the November Risk and Assurance Committee, December Performance and Delivery Committee, and Regional Transport Committee meetings. They also received the draft minutes from the February Coast Community Board.

Papers also included the regular reports from the Chief Executive and Mayor.

Public forum – there were a large number of visitors and speakers for the public forum, including representatives from Ōpōtiki Rangatahi Pā led by Alex Le Long. They spoke to council about the importance of establishing a Youth Council, council staff working in collaboration with Ōpōtiki Rangatahi Pā, and ensuring there is a rangatahi voice in the next Long Term Plan revision.

The Mayor and councillors thanked the group for their attendance and their passion in bringing the concerns and vision of youth to the council table. There was a wide ranging discussion including the role that a Youth Strategy could play in better understanding the various aspects of rangatahi voice through council activities.

Standing Committees Terms of Reference – council adopted the terms of reference for the three standing committees for the coming triennium. These are the Performance and Delivery Committee, the Chief Executive’s Performance Committee, and the Ōpōtiki Harbour Management Committee. The proposed Terms of Reference set out the purpose, responsibilities, delegations, membership, and operating arrangements for each committee to ensure clarity of governance roles and alignment with Council’s statutory responsibilities.

Eastern Bay of Plenty Joint Committee Terms of Reference – Council adopted the updated Eastern Bay of Plenty Joint Committee Terms of Reference as endorsed by the Eastern Bay of Plenty Joint Committee in December last year. In accordance with the new Terms of Reference (two plus alternate), membership is now Mayor David Moore, Deputy Mayor Maude Maxwell and Cr Curley Keno as alternate.

Public toilets refurbishment and renewal budget – Council have decided to reallocate the Waiotahe Drifts new toilet budget to the Surf Club and Hikuwai Reserve refurbishments and allocated an additional $50,000 from reserves to support the refurbishments. Staff recommended this to achieve better value for both facilities - mirroring the recent successful CBD toilet refurbishment, which delivered strong results and deferred the need for full renewal in future years.

BOPLASS Statement of Intent and Half-Yearly Report – Council considered the Statement of Intent and half-yearly report and provided a response to BOPLASS advocating for further investigation into shared services across the BOPLASS membership.

Public excluded business – council confirmed in-committee meeting minutes and workshop notes. Other matters discussed:

• Appointment to Eastern Bay District Licensing Committee
• Eastern Bay of Plenty Provisional Local Alcohol Policy Update

You can read about the reasons for public exclusion as permitted in the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 in the agenda.