The Star: February 29, 2024

The Star Thursday February 29 2024
14
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Review could see board chair demoted
• By Chris Barclay
CHRISTCHURCH’S longestserving
local government
politician risks demotion in her
final term as discord develops
within a city community board.
Helen Broughton’s tenure as
chair of the Waipuna Halswell-
Hornby-Riccarton community
board is under threat, with her
position set to be reviewed by
colleagues, potentially at the next
scheduled meeting on March 14.
Broughton, who has represented
Riccarton on the board
since 1995, was nominated and
appointed unopposed, when the
current board convened for the
first time after the 2022 local
elections.
While the chair is typically
chosen for the three-year duration
of a council term, board
member and Halswell Ward city
councillor Andrei Moore said
there was a verbal agreement
specifying a review after 12
months.
Those discussions were held
before the inaugural meeting
and the review requirement
was never formally recorded,
which Moore conceded was an
oversight.
However, he said the review
should still have already been
conducted.
“We were supposed to have
a review in November but that
item got withdrawn by the
DISCORD: Long-serving Waipuna Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton community board chair
Helen Broughton’s role is under threat with fellow board member Andrei Moore
pushing for a review of her position.
chair,” he said.
Broughton refuted that claim.
“It wasn’t on the order paper
and I certainly didn’t pull it,” she
said.
Moore said a review was
overdue, citing Broughton’s competency
with social media as a
concern compared to the efforts
of Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central
counterpart Emma Norrish.
“The chair is a really public
facing role, the voice of the community
board if you will. They
play a really key part in public
engagement,” he said.
“We’ve got some chairs who
do really good communications
about community board meetings
and what’s going on at them.
“Emma does a fabulous job,
she’s a classic example of (using)
really effective social media communication
from a chair. That’s
certainly something I’d like to
see from our board as well. It’s
not happening at present.”
Broughton acknowledged
shortcomings with that aspect of
her stewardship.
“Certainly I would have to
pick that up, it was raised at the
beginning,” she said.
“I got so involved in planning
issues that I probably didn’t learn
how to manage Facebook effectively.
I was busy last year and I’d
have to be taught this too.”
Broughton, who retires from
local government politics at the
end of this term, said she was
unaware of any dissatisfaction
with her performance until approached
by The Star.
“I think the board has run very
smoothly, people have been able
to speak. I’ve encouraged the
young ones to speak out so I am
somewhat surprised.”
She hoped to retain the role
after spending the previous two
terms as deputy, and said the
review process was underway.
“I’m comfortable with some
sort of meeting being held, we’re
looking for a facilitator for that.
A process is underway that will
be fair for everybody.”
Moore agreed the process was
being formalised and hoped the
role of chair would be reviewed on
March 14.
Most board members would
not comment on or did not
respond regarding Broughton’s
future.
Deputy chair Marie Pollisco
(Halswell), Sarah Brunton
(Hornby), Debbie Mora
(Halswell) and Mark Peters
(Hornby) would not comment
while Gamal Fouda (Riccarton),
and Tyla Harrison-Hunt (Riccarton)
did not respond.
First-term Hornby representative
Henk Buunk did respond
and was supportive.
“Helen is a very experienced
and competent person who has
a great deal of knowledge about
planning and the way to go
about things. She’s an exceptionally
good person,” he said.
“I think Helen has done, and is
doing, excellent work and I’d hate
to see that stop. Whether she’s the
right person for the chair is a different
story but we need to make
sure we keep that experience
going.”
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