I just listened to the council meeting at Potaka Marae on May 3, 2024 on the council’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgoPMMAqFm4
At around 49 minutes, councillors discuss the Ombudsman’s report regarding transparency around council workshops. It was so revealing to listen to one councillor after the other coming up with all kinds of flimsy reasons to exclude the public from these workshops, against the Ombudsman’s recommendation.
Councillor Colin Alder spoke passionately in favour of transparency and keeping these workshops open to the public. I was also pleasantly surprised by councillor Robinson speaking in support of councillor Alder — clearly explaining why these workshops should be open to the public and decisively refuting any pathetic reasons to keep them behind closed doors. Thank you both for truly respecting democracy and standing up for the right of the residents to stay informed. I was surprised also that the mayor and another councillor wanted to hear Local Government New Zealand’s (LGNZ) recommendation on this first. Can’t they make up their own mind? Is the Ombudsman’s report not good enough for them? Elected councillors should represent Gisborne residents, rather than blindly following LGNZ recommendations.
Auckland Council withdrew from LGNZ under the leadership of Mayor Wayne Brown. We need to do the same and save ratepayers some money.
Talking about reducing rates, what is the justification for conducting the council’s formal meetings out of town, necessitating all the extra expenses — including accommodation for all the councillors and a rather large entourage of council staff at the local motel? I am all for councillors travelling to different rural areas and hearing from locals first-hand, but they don’t need to conduct council business out of the council’s premises at extra cost to ratepayers. How much did this exercise cost the ratepayers?
Simin Williams
