Heat remains on community trust

Community Trust of Southland chair Margot Hishon and ‘‘2 particular trustees’’ have been put in the spotlight as questions remain over the controversial departure of former trust chief executive John Prendergast.

Neil Wyeth, a former trustee of the community trust, is one of nine former trust chairs, deputy chairs and trustees who wrote to Associate Finance Minister Amy Adams in May, urging her to investigate the trust and the way Prendergast was treated.

Adams subsequently said she would not be investigating at this stage.

Wyeth then emailed Adams office on July 4 saying he was disappointed with her decision; claiming a ‘‘toxic’’ atmosphere exists at the trust; and that its reputation has been damaged.

His email also says: ‘‘Clearly, the concerns for how this matter was managed by Ms Hishon and 2 particular trustees, which was not in accordance with the spirit experienced by previous boards and certainly not during the nine years that I was a trustee, is not a concern of the minister.’’

He does not name the two trustees he is referring to in his email.

The minister must act as she sees fit, Wyeth’s email to Adams’ office says. ‘‘But the reputation of the Southland Community Trust has been damaged and I am disappointed that the minister is not prepared to do anything other than, apparently, ask the perpetrators to give their explanation of what happened.

‘‘This would have been something that they would be very happy to do and, then, from their point of view, hopefully, watch the whole matter fade away.’’

Wyeth’s email says he, ‘‘like all past trustees’’, wants to see the Community Trust of Southland continue to do good for the community.

‘‘But the toxic atmosphere which now, apparently, exists in that board, is likely to have a negative effect for the foreseeable future.’’

Hishon declined to answer questions about Wyeth’s email.

She has consistently refused to answer questions surrounding Prendergast’s departure, other than to repeat that he resigned from the chief executive’s position on June 2.

On June 12, Prendergast told The Press the trust members had resolved unanimously that they had wanted him to resign.

Prendergast said he had not been provided the reasons they asked him to resign.