Workshops at Tasman District Council
We are currently preparing a complaint to the Ombudsman regarding TDC's position not following Ombudsman recommendation to hold Council Workshops open by default to the public, unless there are good reasons not to.
In late October 2023, the Ombudsman reported on his view of Council holding Workshops behind closed doors following an investigation into eight Councils around the country (Clutha District Council, Palmerston North City Council, Rangitīkei District Council, Rotorua Lakes Council, Taranaki Regional Council, Taupō District Council, Timaru District Council and Waimakariri District Council).
“Some councils were previously closing workshops by default. In my view, that is unreasonable. The Local Government Act states that local authorities should conduct business in an open, transparent and democratically accountable manner. As a matter of good practice, workshops should be closed only where it is reasonable.”
The Ombudsman was encouraged that Councils signaled a readiness to consider holding workshops open to the public. Unfortunately, this is not the case for Tasman, even though it is the case for Nelson. Tasman’s Mayor Tim King remains of the firm position that he will not change his approach. This was asked only a few weeks back after two public forum presentations were touching on the Ombudsman position on Workshops and Tasman’s practice. It was also subject of a formal complaint to Council.
As Council, via Mayor King, is holding a very firm view, there are no other internal avenues available to initiate change and we decided to approach the Office of the Ombudsman instead.
We are intending to file a complaint on 18 April with a draft ready by 12 April. If one of you have interest in being part of this complaint, please let us know and we will include you and your reasons in the complaint. You don't have to be a member of our organisation, you can simply support the complaint. If you don't want to be named, but think you have got good reasons in support of this complaint, that’s also fine.
See: https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/news/chief-ombudsman-calls-council-workshops-be-open-default