Regional Council to begin considering Long Term Plan submissions

More than 400 people attend seven public meetings held throughout the region on the LTP, including one in Taradale. Photo / Supplied

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council's proposal to reduce tourism funding has got the thumbs down from most submitters to the Long Term Plan 2018-28, with 54 per cent against the option.

During consultation, which ended on April 23, the council proposed saving $1.8 million over three years by reducing the funding it gave Hawke's Bay Tourism.

The proposal received the most feedback of any of the consultation items, which the council would begin considering at hearings beginning this morning.

In a report to the council, staff said 499 submissions were received on the issue of Hawke's Bay Tourism funding, with 54 per cent against the idea of reducing it.

It was also noted that some of the submissions had multiple signatories, including a petition to "Protect the Hawke's Bay Visitor Industry", and a 93-signature joint submission from Hawke's Bay hospitality businesses in favour of holding the current funding.

During consultation the council said that reducing the tourism funding would result in a 1.6 per cent rate reduction.

Submissions in favour of the proposal came mainly from individuals, most of whom suggested that putting the money saved into improving the environment would naturally benefit the tourism sector.

"If the tourism industry here is as big and important as they say they are, surely they can levy their own members to raise funds," said one.

Another said that with no data to show the direct relationship between spending by tourism and the work that Hawke's Bay Tourism did, they could see no harm in reducing the funding.

Another believed tourism was at the level that it should be self-sustaining, and some considered that alternative funding models should be considered, such as contestable funding.

In submissions against the proposal, comment ranged from concerns about job losses to visitor number reductions.

"Are you kidding me? I would lose my job as would many," said one submitter.

"I've been working in tourism for nearly 40 years and can tell you that tourist numbers will fall if funding is reduced," said another.

There was also a call for the funding reduction to either be postponed so that the industry was given the opportunity to develop alternative funding models and/or stepped back by a smaller amount.

Tourism funding was one of seven main items the council consulted on and of the six others, a proposal to invest in working more closely with tangata whenua attracted 383 submissions, 57.1 per cent in favour.

Just over 63 per cent of the 373 submissions on the council's incentives to improve land, water and biodiversity, with staff working catchment by catchment in partnership with communities, were in favour of this proposal.

A suggestion for a new future farming initiative with a focus on biodiversity and biosecurity attracted 371 submissions, 67.3 per cent in favour.

Sixty-two per cent of the 371 submissions on extending Heatsmart into a sustainable homes programme were supportive of the proposal and 69.5 per cent of 362 submitters favoured a single regional Civil Defence rate, to be collected by the regional council.

A proposal to join the Local Government Funding Agency as an unrated guaranteeing borrower was supported by 39.5 per cent of 322 submitters, with a total of 76 per cent in support of joining in some form.

Council staff noted that the total 569 submissions was considerably more than received in previous years, apart from the 2012-22 LTP when 583 were received, mostly on the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme.

The submissions hearings were scheduled to be held today and tomorrow, including hearing from 91 submitters who signalled they wished to speak.

Councillors would deliberate and make their decision this Thursday, with the final documents and any changes therein due to adopted on June 27.