Back in February, through the HB Regional Recovery Agency (HBRRA), our region’s political leaders and iwi submitted a joint proposal to the Government with the aim of securing a new Hawke’s Bay ‘Regional Deal’.

All councils were invited to submit to the Government’s ‘Regional Deal’ initiative, 18 proposals were submitted, with the understanding that only 3-5 would be initially accepted.

‘Winners’ in the first round were recently announced – Auckland, Western Bay of Plenty and Otago-Central Lakes.

In response to the announcement, HB’s Mayors and regional Chair have issued this statement:

“This did not come as a surprise to the region’s leaders who acknowledge the substantial Government support Hawke’s Bay has received in recent years – more than $2 billion in funding to support the recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle, as well as investment in other projects that will boost the resilience of the region’s transport network, such the Waikare Gorge realignment and the four-laning of the Hawke’s Bay Expressway.

“Central Government has indicated this is just the start of its City and Regional Deals initiative and we remain optimistic about future opportunities for Hawke’s Bay. From our Cyclone Gabrielle recovery to the joint work on Local Water Done Well reforms we are aligned, connected, and focused on shared outcomes.”

So, what did HBRRA submit on our region’s behalf?

For months this has been secret except for some general blah-blah about regional housing and economic development, because councils were required by the Department of Internal Affairs to keep them confidential. But finally BayBuzz’s standing request for our region’s proposal has been granted.

We now have a copy of the so-called ‘Light-Touch’ proposal submitted by HBRRA.

Most of its 34 pages is pretty much boilerplate recitation of the mandatories essential to playing ball with the current Government regime – our region craves more housing, robust economic development, major growth, better and more resilient infrastructure … and boy do our councils already collaborate like crazy! 

Other than a few location names, it’s hard to imagine what remarkable point of difference would distinguish our proposal from the others. The poor readers at DIA must be bleary-eyed.

That said, setting out to find some specifics, here’s what I noticed.

Insofar as mandatory evidence of regional collaboration is concerned, the HBRRA proposal milks our Matariki Governance Group (the mayors, HBRC Chair, Māori leaders) for all it’s worth. Indeed, for far more than it’s worth. In the region’s recent ‘stocktake’ of our economic development planning and structure, the MGG was pretty much labeled as an emperor with no clothes, in drastic need of improvement (as BayBuzz reported here, Who really runs HB?). 

As for specific projects or proposals, our ‘Light-Touch’ proposal mentioned these:

• More work on Spatial Planning – building on the still unresolved Napier-Hastings Future Development Strategy (Yikes!)

• An appeal for a regional ‘energy security’ strategy – definitely overdue

• Safety and resilience work on SH 5 and SH2 – always needed

• Considering declaring Wairoa a ‘Special Economic Zone’ — intriguing

• Meeting our ‘water security’ needs – effectively endorsing two dams in Hawke’s Bay that are still far from establishing their value. Notes the proposal: “Our ask is that Government continues to place priority and importance on the critical issue of regional water security for Hawke’s Bay and explores alongside us how existing funding arrangements or bridging financing tools can support an accelerated development pathway for current projects.” Whatever happened to user pays?

• Establishing a Regional Building Consent Authority – intended to streamline and make consistent across our council the building consent process and standards (definitely overdue)

Apparently as a last-minute afterthought (and probably at the insistence of the then-in place Regional Economic Development Agency leadership), this paragraph is literally pasted in as the very last item in a different typeface and style (what does that tell you?):

“Social Investment for Productive Communities: In line with stakeholder feedback and to support economic, housing and infrastructure focused measures, the region wants to explore with Government social investment to support truly productive communities. This investment could address barriers to workforce participation and productivity and could encompass equitable access to quality health and education services across the region, measures to address training, education and employment opportunities for young people (particularly NEETS) and high family harm rate.”

A last minute plea for attention to the social determinants of any economic growth.

Despite its puffery, our current slate of candidates would be well-advised to read this proposal to get an idea of how our present political leadership sizes up the region’s needs and envisions its future direction.

How much of this would a new slate of leaders embrace or change?

And everyone should note, as the proposal does: “We are aware that Regional Deals don’t involve new money.” 

Here’s the full proposal.