Purse strings likely to be tightened at Hawke's Bay Regional Council

CUT-OFF: Regional Councillor Alan Dick said he felt they should not help with requests for community facilities from other councils. PHOTO/FILE

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council has decided to focus on its core areas of responsibilities, which could mean it tightens the purse-strings for regional projects.

Last week council chairman Rex Graham told Hawke's Bay Today he felt the regional council needed to focus its funding on its key competencies - many of which were environmental.

Although he had not formally brought this to council, it now appears regional councillors are on the same page - expressing similar feelings during an open and impromptu discussion following a council meeting yesterday.

The chairman led the discussion, noting there seemed to be "an enormous amount of activity in our community at the moment, and a high expectation that we, as the only body that encompasses the whole region, gets in behind".

In the past the council has financially supported projects lead by other territorial authorities, or community groups.

However, Mr Graham said it appeared the council was facing "huge issues" and it was a stretch for them to fund other projects. He noted he would like council to define its core competencies, and whether or not financially supporting projects was one of them.

Councillors appeared to agree that while proposed projects - including the Napier multi-use sports facility, Hastings sports park, and Cranford Hospice developments - were worthwhile, its responsibilities lay elsewhere.

The council had environmental responsibilities - citing the conditions of Lake Tutira and the Ahuriri Estuary - as well as economic imperatives, and infrastructure.

Others noted by Mr Graham were water storage - "which if we don't take a key role there it probably won't happen anywhere" - and the Napier Port.

Councillor Rick Barker agreed the council needed to determine its priorities:"I think we owe it to ourselves, the organisation, and the community to do what we're responsible for to the best of our ability".

"Only after we've done that should we then turn our sights on something else."

It was noted the regional council was the only body who could rate on a collective basis - however councillor Fenton Wilson said the notion this meant they should assist with projects was "absolutely bloody rubbish".

"We have a whole lot of things that we are responsible for. The fact that we are the regional body doesn't open the door to that type of funding."

Last term the council distributed $6 million across the region, which was spent on projects including the Napier MTG, Hastings Sport Park, and Te Mata Park.

However, councillor Alan Dick said this was a "one-off" - given with the message council would not be able to assist with all requests of support.

"My view is that we don't assist with requests for community facilities which are the responsibility of the territorial local authorities," he said yesterday. "We've done it once but we cannot afford to do it again, there isn't the money there."

It was proposed council define what their core competencies were at a workshop.

"We can't afford to do everything and do our core competencies well, it's as simple as that," Mr Graham said.

"We're going to have to send a message...that we are going to focus on our core competencies, and whilst all these other projects are worthy we just do not have the operational funds or capital funds to do everything."