Attempts to engage met with silence as mayor appears to shut down
INVERCARGILL Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt’s performance returned to the spotlight yesterday when he appeared to shut down for a couple of minutes during a council meeting.
Sir Tim has vehemently denied he was asleep during the meeting, saying he simply had not wanted to go over matters that had been raised at that moment.
The incident happened at the council project governance group meeting as elected members were discussing the council’s legacy report and whether it should be released in a public agenda.
The report is the council’s official response to a 2020 letter from the Department of Internal Affairs raising concerns about the council’s performance and leadership.
Sir Tim, who was at the meeting in person, while most councillors attended via Zoom, initially indicated he would oppose a motion from deputy mayor Nobby Clark for the council to receive the report as part of the public meeting agenda.
He later said that despite the report being a ‘‘celebrity roast of the mayor’’, it was appropriate it be made public because the council needed to be as transparent as possible.
After some discussion, acting chairman Jeff Grant, an external appointee, put the motion to release the report publicly to the vote.
During the vote Sir Tim said ‘‘no’’.
Mr Grant then explained to Sir Tim the item on the table was the motion to make the document public, which the mayor had just said he would support.
After receiving no answer and observing Sir Tim apparently with his eyes closed, Mr Grant tried to engage him again: ‘‘Sir Tim, are you against putting the legacy report into public? Sir Tim?’’
Those in the room looked at the mayor and at each other.
‘‘We would note then [that] Sir Tim has now chosen to not approve the report going into public. Is this correct Sir Tim?’’ Mr Grant asked.
There was silence.
‘‘Thank you. So on that basis, the majority have supported the report going into public.’’
Sir Tim opened his eyes and picked up papers from the table about two minutes later.
After the meeting he told the Otago Daily Times he had not been sleeping, but rather wanted to focus on other subjects which he considered important, such as the lack of support he felt.
He said the report did not tackle issues of the support available to him as mayor.
‘‘Everyone says that I had it, but I say ‘no’. I just would like what any other mayor in New Zealand has.’’
MICROCHIPPING could be crucial for establishing better control of cats in Dunedin, city councillors have been told.
It enabled feral cats to be distinguished from wandering domestic cats and controls were positive for both biodiversity and cat welfare, Forest & Bird Dunedin branch chairwoman Kimberley Collins said.
Forest and Bird and Predator Free Dunedin support mandatory microchipping, requirements for cats to be desexed, a limit of three cats per property and rules preventing the feeding of stray cat colonies.
They have called for the Dunedin City Council to consider joining other councils in introducing cat controls within a bylaw.
‘‘There is a strong precedent for territorial authorities to introduce cat control within their bylaws based on the nuisance created by cats and the health and safety risk they pose to both humans and wildlife,’’ Forest & Bird said in its written submission to the council’s annual plan hearing this week.
Forest & Bird has estimated the country’s pet cats alone — about 1.4 million — kill at least 1.12 million native birds a year.
New Zealand has been estimated to have at least 2.4 million feral cats.
Ms Collins said New Zealanders were increasingly supportive of cat controls, partly for animal welfare reasons.
Predator Free Dunedin spokesman Rhys Millar urged the council to show leadership in dealing with feral and stray cats.
They were having a major impact in pockets of Dunedin, he said.
Mr Millar said there had been growing recognition nationally of potential benefits of a proactive approach.
‘‘Community attitudes towards this subject are shifting and it is no longer such a controversial issue,’’ the Predator Free Dunedin submission said.
‘‘Animal welfare groups, cat owners, conservationists and residents are aware of the nuisance caused by uncontrolled cats and there is growing support for change.’’