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Hawkes Bay Regional Council

Staff Support Group


12 June 2014
Hawkes Bay Regional Council
15 !alton Street
"apier# 4110
!ear Councillors
COUNCIL LEADERSHIP AND BEHAVIOUR
$n %e&alf of t&e Hawke's Bay Regional Council staff# we write to you to e(press our concerns at
t&e attitu)e an) %e&a*iour of our electe) Council+ ,&e pu%lic in-fig&ting an) )irect insinuations
regar)ing staff cre)i%ility &a*e &a) a far reac&ing i.pact on staff .orale+ /or staff to %e effecti*e in
t&eir roles )eli*ering pro0ects an) priorities esta%lis&e) %y t&e Council# we nee) electe)
representati*es to assu.e t&e role of go*ernors as t&ey were electe) to )o# an) stan) %y t&e
sa.e *alues 1e(cellence# forwar) t&inking# inno*ation# integrity an) partners&ips2 as are e(pecte)
of staff+
,&e use of t&e ter. 3staff4 in )isparaging state.ents t&roug& t&e .e)ia taints all of us w&et&er or
not )irectly in*ol*e) in t&e 5lan C&ange 6 or Ruataniw&a Storage Sc&e.e pro0ects+ 7e are
in*ol*e) in .any pro0ects an) engage wit& a wi)e range of stake&ol)ers t&roug&out t&e region+
Recent councillor %e&a*iours are un)er.ining t&e 8uality work %eing un)ertaken an) t&e strong
relations&ips we &a*e %uilt+ ,&e staff t&at were in*ol*e) wit& t&e 95: process )i) so at t&e re8uest
of Council an) perfor.e) t&eir roles in co.plete co.pliance wit& t&e HBRC *alues# often wit&
significant personal sacrifice to ensure t&ey .et t&e stringent ti.elines of t&e 95: process+ ,&ose
staff stan) %e&in) t&eir professional work in relation to t&e ,ukituki Ri*er catc&.ent# regar)less of
w&at t&e Boar) of ;n8uirys final )ecision .ig&t %e+
,&e continual politicking &as co.e at a ti.e w&en# .ore t&an e*er# we nee) Council to s&ow
lea)ers&ip# loyalty# .aturity# professionalis. an) integrity+ 7e &a*e yet to see any outline or
state.ent of strategic intent or )irection fro. t&e Council+ ,&is organisation faces a significant
c&allenge in i.ple.enting t&e "ational 5olicy State.ent for /res&water <anage.ent+ ,&e
a))itional planning# co..unity engage.ent# on-groun) i.ple.entation progra..es# enforce.ent
an) au)iting capacity re8uire) to .eet t&e associate) new policies# rules an) regulations re8uires
new organisational structures an) resources+ ,o )ate# we &a*e seen little acknowle)ge.ent %y
Council of t&is in relation to t&e ,ukituki Ri*er Catc&.ent an) ot&er catc&.ents# lea*ing staff
concerne) at &ow t&is will &appen+
,&e staff of HBRC are &ig&ly 8ualifie)# e(perience) tec&nical specialists in t&eir *arious fiel)s w&o
are passionate a%out Hawkes Bay an) its en*iron.ent+ /or .any of us# our 0o%s are our *ocation
an) our li*eli&oo)+ 7e are un)erstan)a%ly concerne) at w&at outco.es t&e local go*ern.ent
refor.s .ay %ring for us# %ut we are .ore concerne) at t&e )enigration of our in)i*i)ual an)
collecti*e cre)i%ility %y so.e councillors+ ,&is concern is furt&er e(acer%ate) %y t&e ti.ing of
t&ese unfair criticis.s lea)ing into t&e local go*ern.ent refor. process an) t&e potential
i.plications t&is &as for us all+ 7e re8uest t&at t&is stop an) Council .ake a state.ent of support
to all staff of HBRC+ 5resently t&e pu%lic perception of t&e Hawkes Bay Regional Council is t&at of
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5age 2
an organisation t&at &as a %roken an) )ysfunctional lea)ers&ip+ 7&ile t&e Staff Support Group
supports t&e rig&t for e*eryone to &a*e an opinion# we also a)*ocate t&at in)i*i)uals electe) to
pu%lic office nee) to stan) unite) in support of t&e *ision an) *alues of t&eir c&osen organisation+
,&is is clearly not t&e case at t&e Hawkes Bay Regional Council+
@ours sincerely
Hawkes Bay Regional Council Staff Support Group
,&e Hawkes Bay Regional Council Staff Support Group consists of fi*e electe) .e.%ers of staff
w&oA
represent t&e *iews of all HBRC staff t&roug& consultation an) regular sc&e)ule) .eetings
wit& %ot& staff an) t&e e(ecuti*e tea.+
positi*ely pro.ote Council *alues# continuous i.pro*e.ent# c&ange or workplace refor.
w&ere it is agree) t&at suc& c&ange is in t&e %est interests of staff+
work wit& .anage.ent to assist wit& .aintaining positi*e .orale in t&e workplace+
to co..unicate to t&e e(ecuti*e tea. t&e feelings# attitu)es an) )esires of staff in relation
to workplace issues+
to pro*i)e a resolution process for )isputes arising %etween staff an)=or staff an) t&e
e(ecuti*e tea. as appropriate+
assist t&e e(ecuti*e tea. wit& HR )ecisions an) processes suc& as 0o% siBing# internal
*acancies# tea. %uil)ing an) ot&er staff relate) acti*ities as an) w&ere appropriate+
;)entify an) pro.ote staff %enefits an) en&ance) staff well %eing in t&e workplace+
pro*i)e interface alongsi)e unions at t&e re8uest of staff an) w&ere appropriate+

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