Minutes of a meeting of the Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit

Held in the Rūma Waimārama, Level 2A, Civic House, 110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson

On Friday 11 December 2020, commencing at 1.33p.m.

 

Present:             Tasman District Councillor K Maling (Chairperson), Nelson City Councillors B McGurk, T Skinner (Deputy Chairperson), Tasman District Councillor T Tuffnell, Independent Member B Silcock, and Industry Representative (non-voting) P Wilson

In Attendance:    Group Manager Infrastructure (A Louverdis), General Manager Regional Sewerage and Landfill (N Clarke), Operations Manager Regional Services (B Nixon), Accountant (A Bishop) and Governance Adviser (J Brandt)

Apology:             Frank Hippolite (Iwi Representative)

 

 

1.       Confirmation of Order of Business

           Changes to the order were made as follows: Agenda item 7 (Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit Quarterly Report) was considered prior to agenda item 6 (Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit 2021-2031 Activity Management Plan and 2021/22 Business Plan Feedback Report). Apologies were considered in between those two items.

2.       Interests

           There were no updates to the Interests Register, and no interests with items on the agenda were declared.

3.       Public Forum

There was no public forum.

4.       Confirmation of Minutes

4.1      11 September 2020

Document number M14106, agenda pages 4 - 11 refer.

A correction was made to the spelling of Ms Forward’s surname in the minutes.

Resolved NRSBU/2020/020

 

That the Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit

1.    Confirms the amended minutes of the meeting of the Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit, held on 11 September 2020, as a true and correct record.

Tuffnell/McGurk                                                                        Carried

5.       Chairperson's Report

There was no Chairperson’s report.

6.       Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit Quarterly Report (agenda item 7)

Document number R22502, agenda pages 22 - 30 refer.

General Manager Regional Sewerage and Landfill, Nathan Clarke, presented the report. He noted that since the writing of the report, conditional support from iwi had been received for the Biosolids Application Resource Consent.

Attendance: Mr P Wilson joined the meeting at 1.45p.m.

Accountant, Andrew Bishop, answered questions about the Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit (NRSBU) financial report and position to 30 September 2020.

It was noted that funding would be required to cover part of the shortfall in profits at the end of the year. Mr Wilson was asked to communicate this to industry stakeholders.

The Board requested that the General Manager investigate options to reduce operational costs for the NRSBU, including electricity costs and to report back to the Board in early 2021.

Mr Clarke answered questions about discharge performance at Bell Island’s Waste Water Treatment Plant, its capacity to cater for future population growth, as well as decisions required regarding project management support.

Resolved NRSBU/2020/021

 

That the Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit

1.    Receives the report Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit Quarterly Report (R22502).

Skinner/Tuffnell                                                                        Carried

7         Apologies

It was noted that an apology from Mr Hippolite was received subsequent to the start of the meeting.

Resolved NRSBU/2020/022

 

That the Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit

1.       Receives and accepts an apology from Frank Hippolite for absence.

McGurk/Maling                                                                         Carried

 

8.       Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit 2021-2031 Activity Management Plan and 2021/22 Business Plan Feedback Report (agenda item 6)

Document number R22515, agenda pages 12 - 21 refer.

General Manager Regional Sewerage and Landfill, Nathan Clarke, presented the report.

Based on feedback received from Tasman District Council relating to the capital works programme, the Board requested that Mr Clarke prepare a modified programme of work as part of an options report for consideration at a NRSBU meeting in early 2021.

In a separate discussion, the Board queried the increasing operating costs. Accountant, Andrew Bishop, answered questions about depreciation and revaluation. Mr Clarke noted the renewal of two contracts as a contributing factor.

Based on feedback received from Nelson City Council, the Board requested an analysis of operating costs, including any potential cost reductions and increased efficiencies, to be reported back to the Board in early 2021.

An additional clause was added to the officer’s recommendation to reflect the Board’s requests.

The meeting was adjourned from 3.20p.m. until 3.29p.m.

 

 

Resolved NRSBU/2020/023

 

That the Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit

1.       Receives the report Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit 2021-2031 Activity Management Plan and 2021/22 Business Plan Feedback Report (R22515); and

2.       Requests the General Manager Regional Sewerage and Landfill to present a revised Capital/Renewal programme and business case (detailing several options) to reduce operational budgets to a future Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit meeting, taking into account Nelson City Council procedures, in time to inform the Long Term Plans of both Nelson City and Tasman District Councils.

 

Tuffnell/Skinner                                                                        Carried

 

 

There being no further business the meeting ended at 3.35p.m.

 

Confirmed as a correct record of proceedings:

 

 

                                                   Chairperson          Date