I remember when there were Catchment Boards to look after the creeks and rivers in a District and in the case of Central Hawkes Bay there was also a Water Race board. Water races which drew water mainly from the Tukituki and Waipawa Rivers and seemed a very efficient irrigation and water supply source for farmers during summer months.
At some stage these and probably some other similar local boards morphed into the Hawkes Bay Regional Council. I first became aware of it when I moved back to Waipawa in the early 1980’s and we got a bill below $10pa for Regional Council Rates (I also remember in the mid/late 60’s my father paying Catchment Board rates (maybe $2/3) – a pre curser probably).
The first chairman of the HBRC I am aware of was a man I knew when he was farming in the Otane/Argyll area of Central Hawkes Bay. He subsequently moved onto the Napier/Taupo Road (SH5) near the Glengarry Road turnoff. He is now deceased and Ross Bramwell was his name.
Ross was Chairman for about 20 years and right through that time the HBRC operated efficiently, effectively and without controversy because it kept to its core functions. Rates were not a burden on ratepayers as far as I can recall through that period.
The downfall started when Ross and probably a few like minded councillors stood down at about the same time. From then on it has been in decline as Labour lackeys, the Greens and other like minded lefties manipulated themselves into positions of control. Two in particular stand out as being heavily involved in the decline. Former Labour Cabinet Minister Rick Barker and his offsider Tom Belford. These two, aided and abetted by local Greens, sabotaged the Ruataniwha Dam which would have been a huge asset for Central Hawkes Bay farmers, orchardists etc, as well as for the local community.
Since about 2010 the HBRC has become increasingly woke and it is no surprise to this ratepayer that rates have increased exponentially while services and benefits have declined and the woke have taken over. It is increasingly difficult to find someone with good credentials to vote for at elections. I have no doubt there are some good people there but they are overwhelmed by the lefty cabal.
Yesterdays fiasco is the culmination of all that is wrong with the Hawkes Bay Regional Council and it is going to take a strong person to step up, replace Ms Ormsby as Chairman and restore credibility to the council.
Here is a link to HBTodays coverage of yesterdays fiasco>
No Minister 
Could you provide a news link so that people not in Hawkes Bay can know what yesterday’s fiasco was all about?
Good idea Tom – done.
Note I have only quickly browsed the linked HBToday coverage.
“Blogging is hard!”
— Ralph Wiggum
Thanks for that.
Instead of fighting against small, tactical crap like maori wards and patched gang members in public buildings the government needs to simply de-power all these councils by booting the Local Government Act of 2002 and replacing it with legislation that requires them focus on the sort of basic stuff you describe in your history.
Sure, the old legislation like the Town and Country Planning Act had become obsolete, and there were myriad other Acts that made things confusing for councils and I understand the need to tidy it all up in one Act.
But from the moment I saw Sandra Lee involved, with Helen Clark pushing, I knew the real purpose was to ensure that Lefty Big Government moved forward even when out of power in central government.
And that’s exactly what’s happened.
It’s the same old story with the same old solution; remove the powers of these institutions and they won’t be worth getting Maori wards and such for.
The CEO of this fustercluck gets paid $584,000 per annum, according to that post DPF did the other day.
That’s mind boggling. I wonder if there’s any private sector manager in Hawkes Bay earning that sort of money?
And I wonder what Ross Bramwell got paid in his day?
There will be Tom – there is a bit of coin in the Bay. Its not all Flaxmere ….
Correct Trev. I would imagine the CEO equivalents would give it a big nudge
Watties
Whirinaki Pulp Mill
Rod Drury – Xero
Mr Apple
T & G
To name a few.
Good to hear but then from DPF’s list is:
Hastings DC – $421,474
Napier DC – $408,532
Plus direct reports to each of these three CEO’s that will be salaried at similar $200-$300k, and other layers of management below them at $100-$200k….
Is it not possible that they’d outnumber the private sector outfits within the RC’s boundaries, and possibly cumulatively exceed them for total salary take? I wonder if anybody has ever looked at it?
I suppose one consolation is that they’re at least paying a shedload of income tax.
Tom I think there would be more than a few others – I was only scratching the surface. Here are a few more:
Selwyn Cushing – even though now well retired.
Apatu Brothers
Arataki Honey – Berry family.
Nick Stewart – Stewart Financial Group
Glazebrook Family
Sir Graeme Avery
There is a lot of wealth in Hawkes Bay.