Your request (133945) has been updated. To add additional comments, reply
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Customer Experience Team (Hawke's Bay Regional Council)

15 Dec 2025, 10:06 NZDT

Kia ora,

Thank you for sending this through. We have forwarded this on to the
relevant part of the organisation and they will be in contact should they
require any further information.
 
In the meantime, if you have any other questions, do let us know and we
will be happy to help.

Ngā mihi,
Anna

Hawke's Bay Regional Council

citizen101HB

15 Dec 2025, 05:08 NZDT

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Dear Hawke’s Bay Regional Council,

As a resident of the Hawke’s Bay region, I am seeking detailed information
to better understand the council's decision-making processes, equity
considerations, contracting practices, external influences, and
involvement in key regional resilience and technology initiatives.

1. Māori-Specific Mechanisms and Partnerships:
The full rationale, including any supporting reports, studies, data, legal
advice, or correspondence, for establishing and maintaining Māori-specific
governance elements (e.g., mana whenua appointments to committees with
voting rights, Takitimu Māori Ward, iwi partnerships in planning or
recovery).
Any evaluations, impact assessments, or metrics showing how these
mechanisms address historical disparities and/or provide benefits to the
wider Hastings community (beyond Māori residents).

2. Water Management and Resilience Strategies:
Copies or summaries of current water management strategies/plans (e.g.,
three waters infrastructure, Havelock North dams and streams resilience
programme/Karanema, stormwater/flood protection).
Details of any ethnic, cultural, multicultural, or equity considerations
embedded in these strategies, including rationale and supporting data if
prioritisation applies to specific groups.

3. Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Efforts:
Comprehensive details on recovery initiatives (e.g., silt and debris
cleanup/Silt Recovery Taskforce, roading/bridge repairs, voluntary
buy-outs for Category 2C/3 properties, land categorisation processes,
Mayoral Relief Fund distributions).
Any assessments of equity impacts, including whether funding allocation,
buy-outs, or support programmes include ethnicity-based priorities or
disproportionately affect particular demographic groups, with supporting
data/rationale.

4. Contracts and Procurement (Post-2023):
A list of all contracts awarded since February 2023 for Cyclone Gabrielle
recovery, infrastructure resilience, water management, coastal hazards, or
related projects, including but not limited to those involving
consultants/contractors such as Beca, Tonkin & Taylor, Stantec, WSP,
Aurecon, Fraser Thomas, Higgins, TW Civil, or similar firms.
For each contract (or summary table if voluminous): contract value, tender
process overview (e.g., open/closed/selective), selection
rationale/criteria, and any evaluations of alternatives considered.
Copies of procurement policies or guidelines applied, including any
preferences for local/NZ-owned firms or diversity/equity criteria in
scoring.

5. Input from Agriculture and External Sector Organisations:
Records of input, submissions, meetings, or advisory roles from
agriculture/horticulture organisations (e.g., Horticulture New Zealand,
Federated Farmers, Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association, Hawke’s Bay
Winegrowers, NZ Apples & Pears) in recovery planning, land use decisions,
infrastructure priorities, or strategic funds.
Any formal reports (e.g., BCG recovery vision documents) incorporating
their recommendations and how these influenced council decisions.

6. Influence of National/International Transparency or Advisory Bodies:
Any correspondence, adoption, or reference to guidelines/initiatives from
bodies such as the Open Government Partnership (OGP), Transparency
International New Zealand (TINZ), Royal Society Te Apārangi, or similar in
council policies, transparency reporting, procurement practices, or
project planning.
Confirmation if these have shaped local processes (e.g., open data,
anti-corruption measures, scientific advice).

7. Deliberative Democracy, Public Participation, and Diversity Mandates:
Details of any deliberative democracy processes used (e.g., citizens'
juries, assemblies, plenaries, or civil society forums) for policy
development or recovery decisions.
Information on the council's adoption or use of the IAP2 (International
Association for Public Participation) Spectrum or framework, including how
different engagement levels (Inform, Consult, Involve, Collaborate,
Empower) are applied in practice, with examples from recovery, coastal
hazards, or other major projects.
Information on any multiculturalism, diversity, or equity
mandates/policies applied to council employment, grants, community
funding, or contract scoring, including rationale and measurable outcomes.

8. Pilot Programs and Innovative Initiatives:
Details of any pilot programs, trials, or innovative projects supported,
funded, or partnered by the council (e.g., in agriculture, horticulture,
resilience, regenerative farming, genomics/tech applications like
sequencing for crop improvement, or similar—such as Land For Life, Farming
for Resilience, or any involving advanced tech/partners).
For each: rationale, funding sources, partners (e.g., industry, research
institutes, international orgs), selection process, equity/multicultural
considerations, and any evaluations or outcomes to date.

9. Coastal Hazards and Water Services Initiatives:
Details of involvement in the Clifton to Tangoio Coastal Hazards Strategy
2120 (e.g., current community engagement/surveys, proposed options,
funding models, equity/multicultural considerations, partners including
mana whenua).
Information on the joint Water Services Council-Controlled Organisation
(WSCCO) formed in 2025 with Napier and Central Hawke’s Bay councils,
including rationale, governance structure, infrastructure plans, and any
equity impacts.

10. Emergency Management and Land Categorisation:
Progress on post-Cyclone Gabrielle Civil Defence improvements (e.g.,
Emergency Operations Centre, community hubs, training, collaborations with
Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga).
Updates on land categorisation framework (e.g., retirement of Category 1
in December 2025, phasing out Category 3 maps, equity assessments or
effects on residents).

11. Advanced Technologies, Drones, AI, and Data Practices:
Details of any use, piloting, or contracting for drones/unmanned aircraft
(e.g., for surveys, inspections, monitoring, recovery, or security
purposes), including compliance with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules
(Part 101/102, including recent 2025 changes).
Information on any integration of artificial intelligence (AI), machine
learning, or automated systems in council operations (e.g., data analysis,
predictive modelling, decision support).
Details of mass data collection practices (e.g., from sensors, imagery,
public sources), including privacy impact assessments, storage/retention
policies, sharing with third parties, and compliance with Privacy Act
2020.
For any such initiatives: rationale, partners/contractors, funding,
equity/multicultural considerations, public consultation, and
evaluations/outcomes.

If any information is withheld, please provide specific grounds under the
LGOIMA. I am happy to discuss refining the scope if parts are too broad or
to receive information in stages.Thank you for your assistance in
promoting openness and accountability.

Yours faithfully,

citizen101HB
4120

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Kia ora

 

Regarding your LGOIMA request dated 15 December 2025.

 

You requested information to gain a better understanding of council’s
decision-making processes, particularly:

 1. Mâori-Specific Mechanisms and Partnerships
 2. Water Management and Resilience Strategies
 3. Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Efforts
 4. Contracts and Procurement (Post-2023)
 5. Input from Agriculture and External Sector Organisations
 6. Influence of National/International Transparency or Advisory Bodies
 7. Deliberative Democracy, Public Participation, and Diversity Mandates
 8. Pilot Programs and Innovative Initiatives
 9. Coastal Hazards and Water Services Initiatives
10. Emergency Management and Land Categorisation
11. Advanced Technologies, Drones, AI, and Data Practices

 

To enable a response from the Regional Council, and because the amount of
information you are requesting is substantial, please refine your request
for the information that relates sprecifically to the functions of Hawke’s
Bay Regional Council.

For example, some of the following (from your request) information is held
by Hastings District Council – not HBRC.

 

 1. Mâori-Specific Mechanisms and Partnerships - Takitimu Mâori Ward; how
these mechanisms address historical disparities and/or provide
benefits to the wider Hastings community (beyond Mâori residents) is
information held by HDC.
 2. Water Management and Resilience Strategies - water management
strategies/plans (e.g., three waters infrastructure, Havelock North
dams and streams resilience programme/Karanema, stormwater) is
information held by HDC.
 3. Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Efforts - roading/bridge repairs; voluntary
buy-outs for Category 2C/3 properties; Mayoral Relief Fund
distributions is information held by HDC.
 4. Contracts and Procurement (Post-2023) – HBRC can provide information
relating only to contracts awarded by HBRC, listed in a spreadsheet,
if you can specify the type of contracts (e.g. engineering, forestry,
pest control); the HBRC [1]procurement policy & [2]strategy are
available on the HBRC website along with a significant amount of
additional information about HBRC Procurement - because this
information is publicly available, HBRC will not provide similar
information to you in response to this request as per LGOIMA s.17(d)
that the information requested is or will soon be publicly available.
 5. Input from Agriculture and External Sector Organisations – land use
decisions are made by the District/City councils; BCG recovery vision
documents were developed by the [3]HB Regional Recovery Agency not
HBRC
 6. Influence of National/International Transparency or Advisory Bodies –
HBRC does not interact with the Open Government Partnership (OGP),
Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ), Royal Society Te
Apârangi – and adheres to the requirements of the Local Government Act
and the LGOIMA in relation to transparency of information and
decision-making processes. HBRC therefore holds no information in
response to your request.
 7. Deliberative Democracy, Public Participation, and Diversity Mandates –
HBRC operates in accordance with its adopted [4]Significance and
Engagement Policy and the Local Government Act provisions for Special
Consultative Processes. HBRC therefore holds no information in
response to your request.
 8. Pilot Programs and Innovative Initiatives - Details of any pilot
programs, trials, or innovative projects supported, funded, or
partnered by the council are publicly available on the HBRC website so
will not be provided in response to this request as per LGOIMA s.17(d)
that the information requested is or will soon be publicly available.
 9. Coastal Hazards and Water Services Initiatives – The joint Water
Services Council-Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) is a district/city
council entity and HBRC holds no information in response to your
request. Information on the [5]Clifton to Tangoio Coastal Hazards
Strategy is publicly available online so will not be provided in
response to this request as per LGOIMA s.17(d) that the information
requested is or will soon be publicly available.
10. Emergency Management and Land Categorisation - Progress on
post-Cyclone Gabrielle Civil Defence improvements - community hubs are
provided by the city/district councils. In terms of improvements to
the delivery of [6]Emergency Management in HB, including EOC, that
information is all available online on the [7]HB CDEM and HBRC
websites. In relation to [8]Land Categorisation, all of the relevant
information is available online along with with the HBRC [9]Cyclone
response and recovery activities. Because all of this information is
publicly available, HBRC will not provide information to you in
response to this request as per LGOIMA s.17(d) that the information
requested is or will soon be publicly available.
11. Advanced Technologies, Drones, AI, and Data Practices – HBRC uses
drones in limited operational circumstances and in compliance with
relevant laws. HBRC collects [10]environmental data using various
means (e.g. telemetry, sample collections) to measure and monitor the
state of our environment (e.g. wateruse, rainfall, river levels) –
environmental data is available online, much of which is [11]available
for public use. Please specify the information you are requesting – in
addition to what is already publicly available.

 

Based on what we’ve provided above, please clarify and/ or amend your
request to enable us to respond.

Please note, any clarification or amendment of your request will be
considered a new request for the purpose of calculating the statutory
timeframe for response (20 working days).

 

Regards

Donna

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.hbrc.govt.nz/assets/Document-...
2. http://www.hbrc.govt.nz/assets/Document-...
3. https://www.hawkesbayrecovery.nz/
4. http://www.hbrc.govt.nz/assets/Document-...
5. https://www.hbcoast.co.nz/
6. https://www.hbrc.govt.nz/services/civil-...
7. https://www.hbemergency.govt.nz/
8. https://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/land-cate...
9. https://www.hbrc.govt.nz/our-council/cyc...
10. https://www.hbrc.govt.nz/environment/env...
11. https://www.hbrc.govt.nz/our-council/ope...