21st December 2018.

CEAC as a long serving public community advocate NGO for our residential communities, we are applaud councillors Debbie Hewitt, & Paul Bailey for standing firm for our environment, both natural and the ‘built’ environment.

We all in the Napier environs, are negatively affected by the 24hr truck traffic to the port, as Marine Parade once was.

We are concerned that privatisation will send the message to a buyer that they can carry on using trucks to move their freight no matter where or when, because it has now reached an un-sustainable level.

We would be now be wondering if anything was discussed in Council as to how HBRC is to be managing future truck gridlock noise, vibration and transport road air pollution?

So we ask how has HBRC prepared a covenant on the sale of that part of the port for a private buyer to have any actions placed any restrictions on any private owner of the Port as to how and when they are to carry out their truck freight operations to and from the port?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=12179627

quote Rex Graham; - "While there is plenty of work to be done to consider the details of a minority share float”

“Regional Council chair Rex Graham said that a minority share float was the most effective way to secure the port's future.

"Under this model, outside capital will fund the port's growth, but we will retain majority ownership and control of it. We will also avoid taking on significantly more debt to fund the Port which would ultimately cost ratepayers," he said.

"While there is plenty of work to be done to consider the details of a minority share float, this is an important decision that provides clarity for ratepayers, the Port, and the work of the Regional Council," he said.”

HBRC is responsible for the health and wellbeing of our residential community and their environment, so HBRC will ultimately face the mitigation costs, for HBRC to place noise, vibration and air pollution mitigation measures in place to protect the health and wellbeing of the residential communities who live near the truck routes to and from the port.

We are simply raising these issues now as HBRC are obviously in council deciding on the rule changes to have a private buyer comply with your statutory RMA/local body and other regulatory rules governing HBRC.

We hope both ‘bravehearts’ Debbie Hewitt, & Paul Bailey voices are heard loudly over all these issues that our community has always been concerned about.

Debbie Hewitt, & Paul Bailey can now tell the media that we have sent this letter to publicly to Debbie Hewitt, & Paul Bailey showing our deep held concerns over privatisation of the Napier Port that may negatively impact upon us in the negative manner that we have shown here.

This will ensure that the community will be aware that HBRC councillors are excellent “guardians and advocates of our residential “built” environment as well as the natural environment.

We hope that Debbie Hewitt, & Paul Bailey will attend a meeting with our community at a residential location during the weeks ahead to demonstrate that our community has real ‘intangible effects’ from that 24hr truck freight movement issue to the Napier Port.

In 2002 HBRC Chair Ross Bramwell came to such a meeting and was astonished at the adverse effects both he and we witnessed that day and offered mitigation to us all within two weeks.

Debbie, & Paul, along with the rest of HBRC is keenly aware for some time from the local press articles that heavy freight truck movements to Napier Port has almost trebled since 2002 to 2018, after being briefed of the large truck freight increase from several public submissions we have made to Council over several years on RMA issues.

In the RMA Act is states; quote; - http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1991/0069/latest/DLM231905.html

“In this Act, sustainable management means managing the use, development, and protection of natural and physical resources in a way, or at a rate, which enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic, and cultural well-being and for their health and safety” and avoiding, remedying , (c)

or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment.”

This current HBRC reliance on mostly trucking freight to Napier Port is an un-sustainable and un healthy residential environment we live in today, and HBRC as guardians of our environment needs to concentrate on mitigating a reduction in truck traffic through Napier and switch instead to restore over half the freight to the port by rail freight instead of wrongly selling our public owned Napier Port.

Janet and Ken Crispin.

Concerned Napier ratepayers and combined residents group.

Members of associated groups and CEAC.

ends

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