This week CHB Councillors voted 7-2 (Deputy Mayor Kelly Annand and Councillor Pip Burne dissenting) to create the Hawke’s Bay Community Water Trust.
Only Councillor Tim Aitken, a supporter, had the honesty to call a spade a spade. As he put it, this was just another step in the Council’s standing commitment to help Water Holdings Hawke’s Bay, commercial owner of the consents and IP around the original Ruataniwha Dam scheme, pursue their project.
With the mission clear and this his only comment, he seemed bored with the ‘debate’. He just wanted to get on to the Trust appointment process.
Indeed, the discussion of the Trust proposal was shockingly superficial. Some Councillors clearly didn’t understand the full implications of creating the Trust. Others were perfectly happy to kick their responsibility to touch and said little or nothing of consequence.
The few questions raised – about the scope and purpose of the Trust; the actual need for the Trust; the ability of CHBDC to influence the Trust once created; the powers, funding or freedom of action of the Trust – were answered disingenuously … to put it politely. But that sufficed because Councillors were unprepared or uninterested as governors to challenge what was said.
In short, one of the poorest displays of council ‘governance’ I’ve seen in over 15 years of covering the deliberations of HB’s councils.
With this action, Councillors have washed their hands of any further responsibility or stewardship regarding the pursuit of Ruantaniwha Dam 2. That task has been handed to an unelected group of four trustees (none yet publicly identified, one to be appointed by CHBDC). And once appointed, the Council will have no authority to instruct their appointee … that individual must act independently as a trustee.
But there it is … the HB Community Water Trust … a Pandora’s box. Or as Mayor Alex Walker put it, an “imperfect” solution. Soon to emerge as the new applicant when it comes time for Dam 2 advocates to officially seek fast-track approval early next year.
Having handed off Dam 2 to its advocates, whether and how CHBDC chooses to explore any other water security options remains quite uncertain. As one Councillor commented, “We don’t have the money … let’s not raise expectations.”
That said, a packed house of citizens observed the spectacle, reinforcing the comment of Wise Water Use HB spokesman Trevor Le-Lievre in his presentation that this is just the beginning of a campaign to hold Councillors accountable over how best to address CHB’s water needs.
Wise Water Use issued this media statement after the session.
Hi Tom, a very disappointing outcome. I found the whole truncated process disturbing and given the significance of the issue, Council should have engaged better. I also found the advice given by the new CEO lacking in depth and not clearly articulated, it is difficult to take someone seriously when their sentences are punctuated with ‘okay’, ‘sure you could do that’, etc.
The supreme court ruled that the conservation land couldn’t be swapped to allow for the dam reservoir. Do the people pushing for RD2.0 know something the rest of us don’t? Have they been told that the swap will now go ahead? Otherwise if would seem they are betting large on a dead horse…
On a technicality. DOC wanted to do it and the court wanted them to do it. It will happen.
This is not just a CHB council fail. All rivers and water in Hawkes Bay should never come under the governance of a single entity created by a group of greedy businessmen. The CHB council needed to reserve the right to further investigation instead of taking the easy and lazy option. Where were all the protestors of the first Ruataniwha Dam.
How dare just 7 CHBD councillors presume to be speaking for all of HB
By calling this trust the HB Community Trust that is what they are doing
The HB communities identity has been hijacked to give false credibility to a project many oppose
I would suggest that if you are unhappy about this you contact them and tell them so
The reporting from Tom Belford, is perfectly put. These councilors appear to be ill equipped for the role of governance. In creating this new body, they have abdicated their responsibility to represent the interest of the rate payers of CHB.
I agree the answers the CEO put forward to questions were disingenuous , and actually bordering on miss-information. He clearly, has an agenda, and is controlling the conversation, to the point where he has the council wrapped around his little finger. In a truly democratic environment, this manipulation would see the council voting on his retention as an employee. (serious misconduct) It is clear that the only economic reason for the Trust is to accommodate the construction of the Dam, in the interests of Private Capital. This is not the Councils mandate, as their responsibility is to govern the assets of the community in the Public Good, NOT just for a select few of wealthy land owners. This is a miscarriage of democracy. I would believe they will soon be challenged in court.
Maybe it’s time the CHB Council should be getting a government observer…..
I completely agree with previous sentiments. All succinct and to the point and well expressed. Where is the democratic process in CHB?
At Next Years Ballot Box!
Dump the Mutant Muppets
It is always interesting to watch those who disagree with a decision by a democratically elected body lambasting their elected representatives.Had the decision gone the other way those same critics would be praising the councilors for their wisdom and.foresight .Perhaps they could storm the council offices dressed as shaman wearing bear skins (maybe possum skins ). It almost worked in the USA
After a decade of protest, none of the critics of large scale water storage have come with a viable alternative .It is well past time they either came up with an alternative option (cutting the allocation for CHB dairy farmers will not deliver 20 million cumecs to Heretaunga) or stood for office and voted the Trust out of existence .Put up or shut up is quite a useful code to live by.
How dare anyone continue to speak out about this dodgy dam you are so eager to progress.
For a start many of these ” elected” councillors are only there due to default including the Mayor .
There’s still a long way for you to get it over the line so I wouldn’t get too excited , by the way how about farming to the climate amd district ,it’s not hard .
One things for sure we all now know CHB council is basically corrupt the way they have gone about this , you’ve certainly been in their ear I bet .
oh come on Tim, the whole thing’s an arranged marriage, and you know it – you helped arrange it. nothing “democratic” about it – unless (as you clearly seem to) you view democracy as the enabling of the will of the vested few. as for annulling the Trust, once it’s done the job of getting government support its role is over. so, given the increasing groundswell against this project, i figure you’re going to be very busy boys, as you only have a year to jump through all the hoops before the next local election slams them shut.
And Mr Gilbertson wouldn’t have a monetary $$$$$$$$$$ conflict of interest, would he? Not half
he would!