SECRET STADIUM REPORT DEBACLE CONTINUES

Three Auckland councillors who made complaints to the Ombudsman regarding the refusal of Auckland mayor Phil Goff to provide them with unredacted copies of the PwC stadium report say the council’s grudging back down over the issue has raised further questions as to how this matter continues to be handled.

On Friday, Councillors Cathy Casey, Efeso Collins and John Watson were advised by email that the as a result of the Ombudsman’s intervention, the Council would now be making unredacted copies of the stadium report available to councillors. However with it comes with a series of conditions:

“We are now making an unredacted copy of both reports available to you, as a gesture of good faith The key conditions of doing so are … the reports may not be copied; they must be kept in a secure location and after reading them you are asked to return both copies to me (on the basis that if you subsequently need them, you may request access again) …”

Cr Casey said “We do not accept the latest imposed restrictions surrounding the viewing of this report. We are elected representatives, just like the mayor. He has no more right of access than we have. In our three wards alone we represent nearly 500,000 Aucklanders."

Cr Watson commented “We find the Mayor’s behaviour throughout this matter concerning. This is a ratepayer funded report that cost nearly $1 million yet was kept from elected representatives for nearly a year. We have the right to access information paid for by our residents especially when it’s in relation to a proposal that carries with it the prospect of a $1.5B stadium project."

Cr Collins reiterated "[that] the low level of trust in elected representatives is absurd. I remain totally dismayed by this heavy handed behaviour. You'd think this report put our national security at risk with all these caveats in place."

The three councillors confirmed that they would formally contact the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday to discuss the unnecessary set of restrictions that have been placed on the release of the report.

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