There has been a lot of interest recently in a report from the Chief Ombudsman, which includes recommendations for councils to hold briefings and workshops for elected members with the public present.
His report was the output of an investigation he started in August 2022, examining the workshop practice of eight councils across the motu.
Importantly, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) was not one of the councils included in the investigation.
The report delivers a long list of suggestions and expectations and what I find most interesting is his findings show that generally councils aren’t doing any thing they shouldn’t be.
Decisions are being made in public (unless there are genuine reasons not to) and these decisions are transparent and promote accountability.
However, his list does seem to be based, for the most part, on the perception of lack of transparency.
Our council, like many others, is sometimes subject to claims decisions are being made behind closed doors.
The idea there are shady deals and backroom agreements couldn’t be further from the truth, so I can’t help wondering where these accusations come from?
Yes, sometimes there are some matters which may be subject to legal proceedings or ongoing negotiations and need to be considered with the public excluded.
There are times we can’t avoid that.
But most reports, agendas, and meeting minutes are all publicly available — just two clicks from our website home page.
We livestream all full council meetings, and committee meetings and hearings are recorded and published on our website within 24 hours.
Meetings are advertised in local newspapers and on social media and largely open to the public to attend.
At meetings, there is a public forum where people can bring matters to councillors’ attention.
Engagement, feedback and consultation processes are advertised in local media, on multiple radio stations, by letter drops, print adverts, posters, and across our social media channels.
So, this leaves me with two questions in my mind.
With all that, why do some people think councils are hiding something?
And why, when hardly anyone turns up to or watches council meetings, is there the belief that making workshops public will overcome a perception of lack of transparency?
We all lead very busy lives, but I challenge everyone living in our district to find a way to engage in local democracy.
There are so many diverse voices out there, and we represent every single one of you.
But you also have a part to play in getting involved.
I, personally, hold no fear in being held to account in a robust, respectful, proactive community.
That said, QLDC is working through the Ombudsman’s report and will, of course, be considering what changes and improvements can be made, and how.
That reflects the organisation’s commitment to transparency and participation in decision-making.
Watch this space, we’ll be sharing more in the new year.
Glyn Lewers is Queenstown’s mayor
