Committee Member Pockets $8000 But Attends Zero Meetings In Two Years

Thursday, 27 February 2025, 9:59 pm
Article: Jonathan Leask - Local Democracy Reporter

February 24, 2025

A committee representative has been paid while not showing up to meetings for two years but councils in charge have not acted.

Community and Rūnanga representatives receive a ratepayer-funded $4000 per year to be on Canterbury water zone committee, with the deputy chair receiving $5000 and the chairperson $6000.

Across 2023 and 2024 there were 14 meetings of the Ashburton Water Zone Committee.

Ngāi Tūāhuriri representative Arapata Reuben didn’t attend any of those but received the full $8000 honorarium.

He was an apology for four meetings but was listed as absent (without an apology) for the last seven meetings.

Reuben and Ngāi Tūāhuriri were contacted but no response was received.

It is a joint committee of ECan and the Ashburton District Council, and both councils standing orders state when a member is absent from four consecutive meetings without leave of absence, or an apology “then the office held by the member will become vacant”.

ECan senior strategy manager Cameron Smith said both councils were aware of Reuben’s absences, but as the committee’s future is under review they haven’t acted.

“Over the past year, the committee has focused on remaining operational while the review is carried out and supporting members around the table.

“Due to this, the standing orders weren’t followed, and we are now following this up with the absent Rūnanga representative.”

Reuben also sits on the Christchurch-West Melton and the Waimakariri zone committees, also receiving a $4000 honorarium for each, and has been attending those meetings, including via visual link.

Usually a “committee refresh” takes place in May-June, with expressions of interest from community representatives sought in March-April.

“This is also an opportune time to look at the contribution and attendance of all members and, on this occasion, this hasn’t happened. “

That is because with the zone committee review ongoing “the decision was made not to refresh any of the zone committees for this financial year”.

“This means all existing members were given the opportunity to remain on board, with a staff focus being on supporting committee members to stay on the committee and engaged as their commitments allow.”

James Meager was the Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua representative until resigning in May 2023 to campaign for the election and he hasn’t been replaced across 12 meetings.

ECan councillor Ian Mackenzie was listed as apology for all the meetings in 2023 and made six of the eight in 2024.

Mackenzie said he may have been listed as an apology but was actually a late attendee or left early at some of the meetings in 2023.

“Tuesdays is often a clash of commitments for me but I always contact the chair in advance to discuss the meeting to weigh up my priorities.”

As the Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown can attend the committee and was an apology for six meetings while the appointed district councillor Richard Wilson only missed one.

Te Taumutu Rūnanga was represented by Les Wanhalla in 2023, who attended four of the six meetings, and then Jess Hobbs attended four of the eight meetings in 2024.

Sidinei Teixeira and Clare Buchanan both missed four meetings while chairperson Bill Thomas and Adi Avnit have missed two meetings each.

Genevieve de Spa only missed one of eight meetings before she stepped down in March 2024.

Deputy chairperson Chris Allen, who died in a tragic farm accident in December, and Angela Cushnie had both never missed a meeting in the two years.

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