Election year rifts among elected Waipā District Council members appear to have been sorted out just in time for crucial decisions about the future of water supplies and local government mergers.
Roger Gordon
Two councillors, Roger Gordon and Liz Stolwyk, were unhappy with the recent closed-door workshop on water services.
The Water Done Well workshop last week included presentations from competing water organisations – one from Hamilton city and Waikato district councils and the other from a consortium representing Matamata-Piako, South Waikato, Thames-Coromandel, Taupō, Waitomo and Ōtorohanga.
Councillors were to discuss the proposals before making their decision in an open session yesterday (Wednesday) after The News went to press.
Last week, Gordon asked at the Strategic Planning and Policy committee why the following workshop with the two parties was being held in committee.
Liz Stolwyk
Mayor Susan O’Regan was expected to provide reasons at the workshop. However, the livestream to the meeting was cut off and not restarted for the workshop, so the public never heard her response.
The News sought a transcript of the discussion held after the plug was pulled.
In response, communications head Lisa Nairne said “the Governance team have confirmed that there is no transcript.
The reason for public excluded is as per the website,” which was to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions.
Susan O’Regan
Gordon said the Three Waters issue was the biggest one facing the community.
“What happens with waters also determines what happens to the rest of council,” said Gordon.
Stolwyk, who chaired the Strategic Committee, shared similar concerns about the lack of public transparency saying she felt “uncomfortable”.
“I always believe that the best outcome is one where the community feels like they have been brought along the journey,” she said.
Following the closed-door sessions, several councillors requested a public workshop to discuss the water proposals.
Gordon was among those.
Roy Pilott
“Given we will make a decision one way or the other, a huge resource will be compartmentalised away from the council,” he said.
“It’s important for our ratepayers to understand that this is not just about Three Waters. It’s about the future of the entire local authority structure.”
Asked whether rumoured rifts between councillors were delaying decision making, Gordon said: “If there are peripheral issues that are taking away people’s energy and application to looking at these important issues, then they should put those off the table. Get rid of them.
“This year is so important that we do need to put our absolute focus onto the matters in hand. And anything that takes away from that focus is detrimental.”
Jo Gread, Governance Manager.
The council is not legally obliged to broadcast meetings and can turn them off at will. But the decision to censor a council debate comes in the wake of their shock decision to switch meetings from a Tuesday to a Wednesday.
That came despite a late email from Good Local Media editor Roy Pilott who said it would mean meetings were held the day after the Cambridge News and Te Awamutu News went to press.
The council also voted to stop sending reports in agendas – reports which The News has developed into stories. Governance manager Jo Gread said where relevant and appropriate, such information would be considered for publication on council’s website.
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