Clyde Graf
Waipā-King Country’s Clyde Graf has been elected Waikato Regional Council’s environmental performance committee chair.
And in a shock, his experienced colleague Stu Kneebone of Cambridge missed out on chairing any of the key “discretionary” council committees.
The election of chairs and deputy chairs follows a tumultuous few weeks since the local body election which resulted in an even split – seven for Pamela Storey and seven for Kneebone.
Because of the impasse, Storey’s name was pulled from a hat to become regional council chair.
Five Storey supporters – Graf, Robert Cookson, Mich’eal Downard, Chris Hughes and Warren Maher – picked up strategy and policy, integrated catchment management, finance and services and regional transport committees. The climate action committee will be chaired by Kneebone supporter Jennifer Nickel.
Kneebone, who has been a regional councillor since 2010, and supporters Noel Smith, Kataraina Hodge, Tipa Mahuta and Angela Strange all have deputy chairperson roles.
Graf, who lives in Hamilton but represents Waipā-King Country, chaired the environmental performance committee in his last term on the council between 2013 and 2016.
Stu Kneebone
The council at today’s meeting in Hamilton – held after The News went to press – was to discuss remuneration for the council from its $933,748 pool.
Storey gets $163,254, which is set by the Remuneration Authority and not part of the pool.
The recommendations are that deputy chair Bruce Clarkson gets $85,184 and committee chairs, Cookson, Downard, Graf, Hughes, Maher and Nickel get $75,355.
Smith would get $68,802 as deputy chair of the critical integrated catchment committee which the other five councillors would get $65,526.
The regional council chairs and deputy chairs are:
Environmental Performance Committee: Clyde Graf; deputy chair Kataraina Hodge
Climate Action Committee: Jennifer Nickel; deputy chair Tipa Mahuta
Finance and Services Committee: Chris Hughes; deputy chair Angela Strange
Strategy and Policy Committee: Warren Maher; deputy chair Stu Kneebone
Submissions Subcommittee: Warren Maher; deputy chair Chris Hughes
Regional Transport Committee: Mich’eal Downard; deputy chair Angela Strange.
Integrated Catchment Management Committee: Robert Cookson; deputy chair Noel Smith.
