Panelists considering changes to Denton Park deny conflicts
Conflict of interest allegations have been levelled against panelists considering changes to Christchurch’s Denton Park, which would pave the way for a new $35.7 million pool and library facility to be built.
A city council hearings panel – made up of councillors Sara Templeton, Tim Scandrett and Raf Manji, as well as community board members Jake McLellan and Emma Norrish – is considering proposed changes to part of the Hornby park’s land classification and management plan.
The changes need to be made before the new facility, a controversial proposal that has sparked heated debate, can be built there.
The Save Denton Park group believes some of the panellists’ conflicts have been ignored, but councillors on the panel say they are not conflicted.
Save Denton Park chairman Mark Peters said it was ‘‘less than ideal’’ that three councillors on the panel considering land classification and management plan changes previously favoured Denton Park as the location for the facility.
During a council meeting in August last year, Templeton, Scandrett and Manji approved Denton Park as the preferred location.
Personally, Peters felt an independent person or group should have been appointed to the panel considering classification and management plan changes, which could make or break the proposed $35.7m pool and library.
‘‘They’ve discounted the [Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton] community board [members] off there being a conflict of interest and the fact they’ve already made the initial decision and they’ve yet to make the final decision,’’ Peters said. ‘‘For them to ignore the conflict of interest of the councillors on the hearings panel . . . it’s disappointing.’’
Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board chairman Mike Mora confirmed some of his board’s members put their names forward for the panel, but were not chosen. ‘‘Say there were three board members that were on the panel, well then they wouldn’t be able to take part in making the quorum for our board meetings when we make the final decisions [on the Denton Park facility],’’ Mora said.
Templeton, who was chairing the panel, said she did not ‘‘see that there is a conflict at all’’.
‘‘The two decisions that councillors on the panel have made and are making are quite different . . . councillors have to get use to switching hats,’’ she said
Determining the facility’s location and considering the classification and management plan were ‘‘two quite different decisions’’.
Manji also believed no conflict existed. ‘‘In terms of the decision the council made there’s no conflict. [The] hearings panel is convened to hear a specific matter and that’s the matter that we’re hearing, so it makes no difference at all really,’’ he said.
Scandrett pointed out the panel was considering changes to the park’s reserve classification and management plan, not the location of the facility. He ‘‘absolutely’’ disagreed with any suggestion of a conflict. ‘‘We hope that it’s transparent and we hope that people feel that it is,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m sitting here with an open mind and I asked the chair to make that clear, and she has made it clear, at what the panel is absolutely looking at.’’
Meanwhile, Marc Duff raised further conflict of interest allegations during day two of the Denton Park hearing. Duff is associated with Save Denton Park, but raised issues as a ‘‘concerned citizen’’. ‘‘On doing due diligence on the hearings panel . . . it become apparent to me that there is a professional political party relationship between Person A and Person B who is a staff member of the city council and senior project manager and project lead of this South West Leisure Centre.
‘‘Person A was the campaign manager for Person B at the last local body elections, both standing for the People’s Choice Party and approved all there signage etc.
‘‘I am surprised that this conflict of interest, in my opinion, has not been raised before today.’’
It was understood the people in question were panelist McLellan and community board member and council staffer Lee Sampson. Duff said he had been told the council would seek legal advice on the matter.