Door opens on closed workshops
Closed-door workshops where city councillors discuss information away from public view are being phased out in Palmerston North.
After criticism from Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier, the council has reviewed its practice of holding private briefings, and will hold most future workshops in public, starting tomorrow.
Acting chief executive Chris Dyhrberg explained workshops would only be closed to the press and public if that was justified under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.
The decision follows a longawaited review by the ombudsman into Stuff’s complaint about the council refusing to release information to a workshop on the Nature Calls wastewater project back in 2019.
The fact a workshop had occurred was referred to at a council committee meeting, and Stuff asked for the information and any notes that came from the workshop.
The request was refused and a complaint was laid with the ombudsman.
Although the information was later released almost a year later, Boshier said in a decision in December that there was no good reason for having withheld it at the time.
He also criticised the council’s practice of using workshops to receive information and advice and hold discussions out of public view.
Workshops are not decisionmaking meetings, but in 2017 there was a briefing about whether the council should review its rating system, including the possibility of moving to a capital-value-based system.
The idea was dropped after that workshop, from which reports were later released when requested.
In April, Stuff approached Dyhrberg about plans to have a councillor-only briefing on a draft master plan for the city’s future cultural and civic precinct, challenging the intention to keep the press and public out.
That intention had now been overturned, and Dyhrberg said the public would be able to attend.
Massey University research associate and local democracy commentator Catherine Strong said it was encouraging that the council had made the change.
‘‘Hopefully this council opening the door to more openness is copied by other councils, after a period of councils around the country using the pandemic to decrease accountability.
‘‘Journalists around the country are getting weary of constantly reminding councils that they are meant to be open and transparent. Thank goodness we still have robust journalists to do this on our behalf.’’
Strong said the Palmerston North City Council had been better than many in its open government practices.
Strong said the recentlyreleased World Press Freedom Index showed New Zealand was better than most countries, at 11 out of 180, but had still dropped.
Press freedom could only be retained if the public kept close watch on government bodies, and she was grateful there were journalists prepared to do that on behalf of their communities, she said. The workshop will be held at 1.30pm in the council chamber tomorrow.