23-07-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Poll: Templeton slammed for attending local government conference
Christchurch mayoral candidate Sara Templeton has defended attending the Local Government New Zealand conference and missing a vote on overnight parking for hospital staff.
Whether Templeton and community board members should have attended the LGNZ SuperLocal conference last week using public funds has also been questioned, when the city council pulled out of LGNZ in June last year.
Templeton and seven community board members attended the conference at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, costing $14,800. Attendance was $2000 a person for two days, but some only went for a day at $1000.
The city council spent $22,500 last year sending Halswell and Riccarton wards city councillors Andrei Moore and Tyla Harrison-Hunt, and eight community board members, to the conference in Wellington.
The trips are paid for by the city council through professional development funds, which are allocated for city councillors and community board members.
Waimairi Ward city councillor Sam MacDonald, a vocal critic of Templeton's bid for mayoralty and an ally of Mayor Phil Mauger, told The Star Templeton should have been present for a council vote on investigating overnight parking for hospital staff at Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre.
Looking into a safe parking location became a priority after hospital staff raised concerns about leaving work on foot at night. A student midwife was assaulted in May while walking back to her vehicle after a shift, while another hospital worker was hit in the back by two people on an electric scooter while walking to work about two weeks later.
MacDonald said Templeton should have taken part in the vote issue she had drawn attention to before other city councillors in April.
'I just don't accept that she couldn't take a few minutes to drop what she was doing and take part in this important motion.'
MacDonald said she should have travelled the short distance back to the council chambers or appeared on video link for the vote.
'It's pretty hypocritical for her to not join the rest of us when we're voting on an important issue when it's something she's talked about.'
Templeton said there was no risk of the car park motion, introduced by Mauger, failing. It passed unanimously.
'I booked the conference many months ago and of course wasn't aware there would be that motion when I booked it,' she said.
Templeton said there was no need to take part in the debate on the issue as she had already made her support for the overnight parking clear and felt no need to 'grandstand' on the issue she had first raised.
Mauger said each city councillor can use their professional development fund how they see fit.
'That's up to them,' he said.
MacDonald said 'at the end of the day' elected members can choose how to use their professional development fund, but he questioned Templeton's choice to use it for the LGNZ conference.
'She went to this conference where people were arguing against capping rates. I think it just shows Sara is not interested in lower rates.'
Templeton said MacDonald was 'misinformed' about the conference.
'For me it was about hearing different views about the future structure of local government and hearing from Government ministers.'
An LGNZ spokesperson acknowledged most councils cover the cost of elected members attending SuperLocal.
'SuperLocal provides valuable opportunities for members to come up to speed on central government reforms, professional development, networking, and learning about best practices in local government.'
The spokesperson defended the ticket prices, saying the fees were comparable to other similar professional conferences on a national scale.
Hornby Ward city councillor Mark Peters voted against sending two Waipuna Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board members, Helen Broughton and Luke Chandler, to the meeting.
He said it was a 'little bit hypocritical' for the city council to send elected members to attend the conference with public funds when it has left LGNZ.
'We're saying on one hand we don't want to be a member of this group, but then also have a hand in the ratepayers' pocket and sending members along.'
City councillors voted 9-8 to not renew membership with LGNZ last year, with many critical of the $163,000 annual fee for the organisation.
Some also believed leaving would help the city council advocate more directly to Government rather than through an intermediary.
Templeton voted against leaving LGNZ and would discuss rejoining with city councillors if elected mayor, believing it would facilitate better cooperation with other councils.
Peters also questioned the price of the conference tickets.
'It certainly is on the expensive side and it goes back to why some councils have left LGNZ as the membership was quite a lot,' he said.
Templeton was unsure whether ticket prices were too expensive, considering they are often paid for through public funds.
'We have our own professional developments set aside and I saw value in using it for this conference,' she said.
Broughton, who is Waipuna community board deputy chair, defended her decision to attend the conference.
'Even though the city council pulled out, I think it's a little bit separate for community board members and there's still some value in the conference itself.'
Even though it is an election year and some attendees might not win re-election, Templeton said there was still value in members attending.
'It's about representing Christchurch and showing members of council are present on a national stage.'
