The Star: January 26, 2017

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Thursday January 26 2017 15
with councillors receiving information
But that notice lapsed in April
and the city council did not reimpose
it, in spite of requests to do
so from the board.
Ms Weston said it did not
reimpose it because the city
council initiated an investigation
of potential compliance issues at
the site.
“The investigation is ongoing.”
She said the city council was
receiving monthly updates on the
removal of the material, which
was coming from an Owaka
Holdings representative.
Alan Edge, who owns Owaka
Holdings, did not respond to The
Star.
Meanwhile, the Awatea
Residents’ Association, which
has fought for the MDF to be
removed for years, had also requested
the same report from the
city council only to be denied.
It had since gone to the Ombudsman
to have it released.
“It could be embarrassing if the
public gets the information and
we haven’t even been briefed on
it,” Ms Broughton said.
Mr Mora understood the
report had been obtained by the
Ombudsman.
Meanwhile, figures show there
were 11 requests for information
under the LGOIMA from elected
Yani
Johanson
officials during the previous term
from 2013 to October 2016.
The most were made by city
councillor Yani Johanson, and
then Shirley-Papanui Community
Board deputy chairman
Aaron Keown.
Cr Johanson made four
requests, including asking for a
copy of documents relating to
bids for cricket matches in the
city and for the Adshel contract
over the provision of bus shelters
in the city.
“I put these requests in following
ongoing attempts to get information,
and staff advice led me to put
an OIA request in after everything
else had failed,” he said.
Current councillor Keown asked
whether the tender for the new
central library was the lowest, a
breakdown for the financial agreement
over the disposal for The
Crossing car park, and whether
city council would install charging
stations for electric vehicles.
“I assumed the reason I wasn’t
getting the information was because
I was a community board
member and not a councillor.
That’s what I was told,” he said.
He said elected members
should get the same information
city council staff got.
Other requests were made by
councillor Jimmy Chen and then
Hagley-Ferrymead Community
Board chairwoman Sara Templeton.
City council chief adviser to
the chief executive Adair Bruorton
said the city council took
information requests on a case by
case basis.
She said when it was unrelated
Bronwyn
Hayward
to the elected member’s official
duties, or if it belonged to a
third party or was sensitive, they
would have to go through the
LGOIMA process.
Elected members could contact
staff directly, provided they went
through the “proper channels”
and appropriate staff were contacted,
she said.
That was the same for Ms Dalziel
and Deputy Mayor Andrew
Turner, she said.
“The vast majority of elected
member questions and information
requests are handled directly
by staff.”
Ms Dalziel said she had never
used the LGOIMA process in her
mayoral role, but had done so
previously.
Canterbury University political
science senior lecturer Bronwyn
Hayward said it was very unusual
for an elected member to go
through the LGOIMA process.
However, Dr Hayward said
it probably related more to the
elected member that was seeking
the information and their personality
and way of doing things.
“We need to make sure that
overall we continue this process
of open and transparent government
as much as possible.”
In comparison, Waimakariri
District Council Mayor David
Ayers said there had been no
case in the last five years of an
elected member having to use the
LGOIMA process, and it would
be “extremely unusual”.
“Elected members’ questions
are always answered outside the
usual constraints of individual
privacy.”
He said it was irrelevant what
ward they represented.
Selwyn District Council chief
executive David Ward said elected
members were encouraged to
make requests directly to him,
senior managers, or at meetings
rather than put in a LGOIMA
request.
He said they could also gain
access to information that did
not necessarily relate to the ward
they represented.
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