Personal vitriol splits group

The Cannons Creek Residents and Ratepayers’ Association is in danger of splitting apart amid acrimony between members and accusations of a lack of transparency, bullying and ‘‘ institutional racism’’.

Chairman Bill Hiku and committee member Lepeti Tea have recently been involved in an online exchange with each email between the two getting more personal.

This newspaper, Porirua City councillors, council officers, mayor Nick Leggett and other community members have been copied into many of the responses.

Hiku said the accusations against him, ‘‘ always made in public’’ – including locking Tea out of a meeting, not advertising when meetings are to be held and not being upfront about the association’s future moves – are ‘‘total rubbish’’.

‘‘A lot of good people like Jon Blackshaw have walked away because they’ve had a gutsful of what’s going on,’’ he said.

‘‘A pool of people in the Creek, who want to get things done in their community, will not have anything to do with the association now. They feel bullied by Lepeti and are sick of the mind games and political shenanigans.’’

Tea said she wanted robust and open processes in place at the association, which were not happening under Hiku’s leadership.

‘‘He was rightfully elected [in March], that was fine,’’ she said.

‘‘ But he’s failed to lead effectively and the lack of transparency is what the people of Cannons Creek deserve.

‘‘I’m just asking questions but now it’s become very personal – my character is being assassinated and I don’t deserve that,’’ she said.

Tea said her job as a nurse and previous involvement in other community organisations has always meant accountability and integrity are priorities for her.

She said there were hints of ‘‘ institutional racism and misogyny’’ targeted at her as her relationship with Hiku deteriorated. Some of it is historical, she said.

Hiku said many of the good things that have happened in the Creek lately because of the village plan, especially the shopping centre and Calliope Park upgrades, need to continue.

‘‘ Hopefully in the next six months you will see things like improvements at Richard Tautolo Park go ahead,’’ he said. ‘‘But if this other nonsense continues, maybe it won’t. People in the Creek will always come together to get things done, though.’’

Hiku said there is a case for winding up the association if the situation does not improve.

Many of the members who have recently left may set up another group, he said.

Former association chairman Aporo Joyce said it appeared the group was in ‘‘dire bloody straits’’.

‘‘I stepped away last year and I’ve been disappointed to see how it has become personality-based. It’s drifted away from the kaupapa it was set up for,’’ he said.

Porirua City Council village programme manager Ian Barlow said a healthy community group in each suburb was important to liaise with the council.

He said Cannons Creek has an excellent village plan but projects and budgets may lapse if priorities were not locked in.

‘‘Associations do come and go, some are stable and some are not.

‘‘What we want, most of all, is a truly representative group, that normally have an AGM and regular meetings, that the council can get a good steer from.

‘‘We have our own guidelines we need to adhere to but it’s up to the different communities; we’re not going to nurse them too much,’’ Barlow said.

Some suburbs may not suit a formal association structure, as the council is finding in Waitangirua, but it was up to the people to create something that worked, he said.