South Wairarapa District Council normally has hundreds of pages in its agendas for Strategy Working Committee meetings. A five-page agenda for the February 26 meeting was surprising. As was the key public business – passing a resolution to exclude the public. The reasons provided? Maintaining free and frank expression among councillors and officials; protection of them from “improper pressure or harassment;” and: “to allow for discussion of the audit outcomes from the audit of the LTP (Long Term Plan) consultation document.”
The LTP sets out the council’s 10-year work and expenditure programme. In other words, it covers the level of rates rise coming down the pipe, a roadmap for the ramp-up in capital spending on waste water projects etc, plus solid indications of future rates increases and future borrowing.
That was all viewed and discussed by councillors in a public-excluded closed session on Feb 26.
Consultation? Inclusion? Open government?
Neighbouring councils had already released their new rates demands – Hutt 13.4%, Porirua 15.5%, Wellington 16.9%, Upper Hutt 19.93%. Instead of updating residents on rates and spending plans as others have done, SWDC’s five-page meeting agenda was this:
Order of Business
- Karakia timatanga.
- Apologies.
- Conflicts of Interest.
- Public Excluded.
Resolution to exclude the public recommendations:
That the public be excluded from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting.
The general subject matter of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under section 48 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:
General subject of each matter to be considered
4.1 A Review of Audit Outcomes
Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter (f) maintain the effective conduct of
public affairs through – (i) the free and frank
expression of opinions by or between or to members or officers or employees of any local authority in the course of their duty; or (ii) the protection of such members, officers, employees, and persons from improper pressure or harassment;
Ground(s) under section 48 for the passing of this resolution 48(1)(a)(i) – the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7 Ground(s) under section 48 for the passing of this resolution
Plain English reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter To allow for discussion of the audit outcomes from the audit of the LTP consultation document. Consultation?
