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Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- 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.'
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
Work stalls on ORC's new air plan
Smoke from overnight fires hangs heavy in the frigid air above North East Valley in 2022. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN Work has stopped on new rules for home heating to manage and improve air quality in the region, the Otago Regional Council has confirmed. Chief executive Richard Saunders confirmed at a council meeting in Oamaru yesterday work on the council's new air plan had stopped as a result of Resource Management Act (RMA) Reform Minister Chris Bishop's direction last week that council planning should stop until the new RMA legislation takes effect. On the day Mr Bishop broke the news to councillors and mayors attending the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) conference in Christchurch, Mr Saunders said the council welcomed the announcement from the minister "and the clarity it brings in light of upcoming resource management reforms". However, he said staff were still working through the implications on the council's work programme. Yesterday, regional planning and transport general manager Anita Dawe said no other work programmes at the council would be stopped after Mr Bishop's announcement. "Given the recent clear direction from Minister Bishop, staff have stopped work on the formal air plan process," Ms Dawe said. "Work on the air strategy is expected to continue subject to further direction from councillors. "The final and detailed direction [of the plan] was still to be finalised. However, the broad direction was to put in place rules that improved air quality, in particular around domestic home heating." She said the plan was no longer due to be notified next year. Three policy staff, one science staff member, and additional staff who had been working on the air plan would be redeployed to other projects, she said. Mr Bishop's office told the Otago Daily Times last week proposed plans that had a hearing date scheduled within five days of the enactment of the government's plan-stop legislation, expected next month, should continue.
Otago Daily Times
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Alley, Quinn to contest mayoralty
Central Otago Mayor Tamah Alley. PHOTO: ODT FILES The race is on with two candidates putting up their hand for the mayoral chains in Central Otago. It will the first election either contestant has faced because sitting mayor Tamah Alley was appointed by her fellow councillors following the resignation of her mentor Tim Cadogan. Mr Cadogan left office at Labour Weekend last year, timing his resignation to avoid a by-election as it was within a year of the next round of local body elections. Mrs Alley, a former police officer and two-term councillor, was appointed by the district councillors at a meeting on October 30. Before being appointed as interim mayor, Mrs Alley was the only Local Government New Zealand zone chair who was not a mayor or deputy mayor. Challenging Mrs Alley is Roxburgh resident Mark Quinn. He is the founder of Challenging Councils — a movement set up to reclaim control over local government decisions and ensure councils are operating in a fair and transparent manner. He could not be contacted yesterday. Mr Quinn's LinkedIn profile says he worked as a self-employed troubleshooting business consultant, as a quotes administrator for Mitre 10 in Rangiora, and as a shellfish manager for Talleys in Motueka before being self-employed for the past 10 years. Currently, Mr Quinn has an almond orchard in Roxburgh. He has been travelling the country holding meetings for Challenging Councils. Challenging Councils' website says it is time for action and to hold councils to account for rising rates and council debt. It says Challenging Councils is not political, incorporated, funded or conspiracy theorists.
NZ Herald
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Napier deputy mayor wins Superhuman award but reveals she's stepping down
The lineup in a proud moment for the Napier City Council and Napier Deputy Mayor Annette Brosnan – the SuperHuman Award winner on the Local Government New Zealand big night in Christchurch. From left: councillor Keith Price, council chief executive Louise Miller, regional councillor Sophie Sears and chair Hinewai Ormsby, Napier councillor Sally Crown, Annette Brosnan, Mayor Kirsten Wise, LGNZ president Sam Broughton, and Mana Ahuriri Trust general manager Parris Greening. Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. The lineup in a proud moment for the Napier City Council and Napier Deputy Mayor Annette Brosnan – the SuperHuman Award winner on the Local Government New Zealand big night in Christchurch. From left: councillor Keith Price, council chief executive Louise Miller, regional councillor Sophie Sears and chair Hinewai Ormsby, Napier councillor Sally Crown, Annette Brosnan, Mayor Kirsten Wise, LGNZ president Sam Broughton, and Mana Ahuriri Trust general manager Parris Greening. Napier Deputy Mayor Annette Brosnan is going out on a winning note – capping 12 years on the city council by receiving the Local Government New Zealand SuperHuman – Tū Kaha Award and confirming in almost the same breath that she isn't seeking re-election this year. But, from Christchurch Airport, awaiting a flight home after a 'dusty' time celebrating the receipt of the honour on Thursday, she indicated she may be back, saying: 'I am confirming I'm standing down, not seeking re-election for this term.' As for the award, and despite some conjecture as to what a local body politician needs, SuperHuman doesn't mean she's pulling weights, and she's not Popeye. 'No tattoos, no spinach,' she said. Brosnan, husband Greg, and their son and daughter, both born during her time on council, are off backpacking to see the world. The four-term councillor is urging others to put their names forward for the local elections in October, nominations for which close on August 1.
NZ Herald
17-07-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Ray Chung vile email scandal: Two more Independent Together candidates quit
At 9:05pm last night, Northern Takapu ward candidate Andrea Compton said in a statement she too was ending her association with the group. Within the hour Pukehīnau Lambton ward candidate Dan Milward also quit the group. 'Like many others, I was surprised by the recent allegations and the subsequent media coverage storm' he said. 'When my wife was threatened by the agitators at our final roadshow event in Wellington CBD on Tuesday night, I knew it was time to take a different approach.' Wellington City Councillor Ray Chung at a rally. Photo / Mark Mitchell Videos posted to social media have seen public meetings held by the group descend into chaos with hecklers and event organisers clashing. When contacted for comment, Chung said he 'didn't know' about the departures. He was at the Local Government New Zealand conference on Thursday and said he hadn't communicated with anyone all day. In a statement, an Independent Together spokesman blamed the media scrutiny over the email scandal - rather than the lewd email itself - for the departures. 'The political machinations at play have an enormous psychological impact for all of the candidates', the statement said. 'The accompanying media coverage and the scrutiny on the team has been intense.' They are not the first to leave the group. Engineering firm director Phil McConchie, Cuba Barbers owner Mike Petrie, and Melissa Moore had all disappeared from the group's website before Chung's official campaign launch in June. Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung at his campaign launch. Photo / Ethan Manera. Chung said at the time that they each left after the group was launched in April, as they struggled to manage the commitments needed to run for council with their own professional demands. Chung said he was 'not fussed' by the departures and didn't think it was a bad look for Independent Together. He said he was glad they left before they had officially declared their candidacy with the council. Tory Whanau said Chung emailed her an apology on Monday, the same day Prime Minister Christopher Luxon slammed Chung's comments. 'That was unacceptable content in that email, really pretty vile and unacceptable stuff', Luxon said when asked about it at his post-Cabinet press conference. The email's existence has also cost Chung an important backer, with rich-list philanthropist Sir Mark Dunajtschik officially withdrawing his support for the mayoral candidate. Chung has called the situation a 'blatant political attack' and a 'smear campaign'. Six candidates, including Chung, remain on the Independent Together ticket for the upcoming Wellington City Council election. Ethan Manera is a New Zealand Herald journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 as a broadcast journalist with Newstalk ZB and is interested in local issues, politics, and property in the capital. Ethan can be emailed at
