Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Environment is top priority

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s outgoing chief executive James Palmer says the council will be working hard to upgrade the region’s policies and rules for better management of the environment and natural resources, particularly water while also supporting the formation of a regional economic development agency. In regards to water he says “we are making further progress on this is a pressing priority to provide more confidence and certainty to all of our businesses and associated industries that depend on reliable water.

James also sees the new economic development agency starting to make an impact in supporting the development of growth key sectors in 2023 while the council will also invest $1.5m in Hawke’s Bay Tourism to support the reinvigoration of the region’s visitor industry following the impacts of Covid and well as seeing construction get underway on the FoodEast food innovation centre in which the Regional Council’s investment company is the majority shareholder with a $4 million equity stake.

He is clear that the regional council’s core business is to manage the region’s natural resources in a way that enables the use of these resources to provide for the economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing.

“The sustainable management of these resources secures our economic future and helps position the region as a sustainable producer of food and fibre.”

He says this core business extends to protecting the region from biosecurity threats and protecting the region’s productive assets and communities from natural disasters.

The Council’s flood protection infrastructure on the Heretaunga Plains alone protect assets with an NPV of $28 billion.

“We are currently focused on supporting our community and businesses to build resilience to the impacts of climate change.”

Some examples of this are the Regional Water Assessment Report – a top to bottom assessment of all of the region’s freshwater, how much it has, how it is used, who benefits from it, and future demand; investing around $30 million in upgrading flood schemes to protect communities and businesses.

“We have recently completed upgrades to the Taradale stopbank and put in place erosion protection on the Wairoa River Parade, and State Highway 50. These assets enable our primary industry based economy to thrive.”

Council will also look at the range of options to ensure secure supplies including water storage, water conservation, more efficient water use and land use practices.

Other projects include developing a nation-leading coastal hazards strategy for the Clifton to Tangoio coast that will ultimately provide direction and support for coastal businesses and communities to respond to sea level rise and continuing to develop the Hawke’s Bay Trails, hugely popular with visitors, as well as six Regional Parks, which support the Hawke’s Bay Tourism economy.

Central Government Government to continue

Hawke’s Bay has benefitted greatly from Central Government funding to get it through COVID19 with many significant projects injecting money into the economy, creating jobs and providing business support initiatives.

But will this continue in 2023?

Napier MP and Minister of Economic and Regional Development and Tourism says “watch this space” as he is working with fellow local MP’s and key Ministers on some exciting projects that will have a positive impact on HB businesses.

James is excited about a pilot programme of integrating forestry into pastoral farms as an alternative to whole-farm forestry conversion, called Land for Life. The programme has the potential to drive a transformation in land use across our region that diversifies farm business income and resilience, while storing carbon, improving water quality, conserving precious soils and restoring biodiversity.