The Cabinet plans to decide in May the first regions to progress to Memoranda of Understanding, and to finalise the first Regional Deal by the end of December.
The Government announcement, less than seven months ago, invited councils to establish agreements between central and local Government, based on a 30-year vision with 10-year strategic plans to be negotiated with “clear outcomes and actions required to achieve them.”
It will rely on existing resources to achieve shared goals over new funding, and would establish a framework through which new funding can be allocated as it becomes available, the Government says.
The Hawke’s Bay proposal is a joint approach and prioritises delivering connected and resilient infrastructure and improving the supply of affordable and quality housing.
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said: “These mirror some of our most important regional priorities in Hawke’s Bay, so we are well positioned to capitalise on this opportunity.”
She said new funding and financing tools announced by the Government on Friday to help accelerate housing growth align closely with the region’s aspirations and requests of Government as part of its Regional Deal proposal.
“While much of the detail is yet to come, we are heartened the Government is going to address the infrastructure funding issues that prevent councils from recovering the cost of growth,” she said.
Acting Napier Mayor Annette Brosnan said while it was imperative the region put its best foot forward to capitalise on the opportunity, it was “not the time for pitching visionary projects with large price tags”.
“In recognising the challenges of the past couple of years, we have approached this opportunity with a commitment to addressing these important issues for the region without placing further burden on ratepayers and taxpayers in the process,” she said.
Regional Council chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby said council leaders were taking a ‘big picture’ approach and remaining realistic about current fiscal environment constraints.
“Ultimately, it’s about finding more efficient and long-term ways of local and central Government working together to unlock the full potential of regional New Zealand,” she said.
Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Alex Walker said successful regional collaboration on Cyclone Gabrielle recovery showed councils were set up to collaborate on regional deals.
“We have seen first-hand the value of working together as a region and of speaking with one voice to central Government, as evidenced through our approach to securing funding and regulatory relief in our recovery work, our ongoing coordinated approach to Local Water Done Well and proactive region-wide approach on the back of the Kainga Ora housing review,” she said.
“We are certainly one of the better-placed regions when it comes to capitalising on this opportunity for growth and deepening the partnership between the Hawke’s Bay region and central Government at the same time,” she said.
Wairoa’s Craig Little said the region would need Government investment for a Regional Deal to prove successful, but he recognised the need for a long-term view “… knowing better fiscal times will come”.
“It is reassuring to know the Government has openly committed to developing new financing tools and opening the door to private investment and, as I have said before, the sooner that rolls out the better.”
He said he was committed to ensuring the interests of Wairoa and its communities were well represented in any Regional Deal.
Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.
