Move to rename regional council ‘Environment Hawke’s Bay’
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council could have its name changed to ‘Environment Hawke’s Bay’ under a proposal put forward by councillor Rick Barker.
Barker raised the issue at a council meeting yesterday, and it may be put to the vote next year.
He said during this year’s local body election campaign, several people – for the “purpose of their candidacy” – had highlighted the fact the public didn’t know what the regional council did.
While he said this was “slightly disingenuous,” at the same time he thought the council hadn’t helped the issue.
Barker noted the use of wording on council vehicles had “Hawke’s Bay” in bold, and “Regional Council” underneath in smaller letters. And Facebook and Google “don’t see the basis of where they are from being that relevant,” he noted.
“It is what they do,” he argued.
“This is, in my view a very opaque description of what we do. So someone who is not interested in the works of council could see Regional Council and could think, ‘is that the same as the council but only it does it on the region?’” Barker said.
He said changing the name to ‘Environment Hawke’s Bay’ would be a “better description” of who they are and would solve the problem which has arisen.
“The chairman has often said we are about the environment.”
Barker also suggested moving council meetings an hour-and-a-half later, from 9am to 10.30am, to allow for “councillor only time”.
He asked chairman Rex Graham and chief executive James Palmer to look into it.
