Chairman’s dual role questioned
A regional council chairman has been criticised for failing to declare a perceived conflict of interest about the management of a lake, with one of his councillors describing herself as ‘‘anxious’’ at his stance.
Bruce Gordon is Horizons Regional Council chairman. He also manages a motor camp where there’s a lake with a public health warning and he has criticised Horizons staff for their ‘‘messaging’’ about that.
However, he stands by his position, saying he had nothing to gain from the situation, before going on to say he would not have declared a conflict even if he did stand to gain financially.
The issue arises from a public health warning on Dudding Lake, in Rangitıkei, due to high levels of blue-green algae. Horizons put out a warning, which Gordon said was effectively telling people the lake was closed.
He manages the Dudding Lake Motor Camp and Picnic Park, and saw people cancelling their bookings because they thought they could no longer go there.
‘‘I’m happy to put signs up and we have. What we were concerned about is the messaging they put out was Dudding Lake was closed ... For them to tell people it’s closed – it’s not – it’s business as usual.’’
He said he didn’t feel his roles at Horizons and the motor camp were a conflict of interest. ‘‘A conflict of interest is where you stand to gain financially from this. I’m the manager out there [but] it’s a non-profit situation.’’
He said he was simply trying to ensure a good situation for the community. The trust behind the park had no say over what happened on the water, he said.
Massey University local government commentator Andy Asquith said Gordon was wrong. ‘‘The financial part is only one aspect of a conflict of interest. It does not have to involve financial gain to be a conflict.’’
Asquith said if an elected member could be affected in any way by a council decision or action, that was enough.
Asquith said councillors’ role was about governance, strategy and policy, and they should not get involved in commenting on operational matters.
Cr Nicola Patrick also raised concerns at the council’s environment committee yesterday. She declared a conflict through her work as an environmental adviser for Te Kaahui o Rauru, and said Gordon’s dual roles were important context, especially as he offered information not in the report given to councillors.
She was ‘‘anxious’’ about Gordon making comments about advice given from the council and Niwa scientists when he had the other information.
Victoria University’s freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy said human health could not be risked in a situation like this and people should not go in the water.
Joy said he did not believe Gordon should be commenting on the swim warning in either of his roles.