Kawerau District Council is cutting ToiEDA funding

It cited several reasons for doing so, including the board’s inability to formalize tangata whenua representation for Ngāti Tūwharetoa, despite a request from the board to do so in November 2022.

Difficulties in justifying continued investment during the cost of living crisis faced by taxpayers, and declining service levels and uncertain strategy were other reasons given.

Mayor Faylène Tunui reiterated the guarantees requested on expenditure by proposers of the recent annual plan consultation. One submitter wondered: “Is that necessary? Is it necessary now? What does this return bring to Kawerau?”

“These were the most important points that emerged from the annual plan submissions. From the discussion we had with the ToiEDA board and other fellow boards, it was difficult to articulate what the benefits were.”

Tunui pointed to a report from the Mayors Taskforce For Jobs received earlier in the meeting that showed 84 jobs had been created in the past year, saying it was much easier to see what the benefits were.

CEO Morgan Godfery said the feedback he received at a meeting with the board of industry body Industrial Symbiosis Kawerau was a desire to see local economic development relationships maintained locally.

Godfery said the council would remain the grantor of the trust deed, which would retain the council’s ability to return the funding to the agency in the future.

The council would still participate in the consultation and development of the Eastern Bay of Plenty economic development strategy, “on the principle that Kawerau taxpayers have already paid for that strategy”.

He said the Ōpōtiki District Council had also indicated in its 2024-2034 long-term plan that it would not fund the trust.

– LDR is local journalism, co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.