Business calls on Mayor to remove chairperson

Newmarket Business Association

Friday, 16 February 2007

Business calls on Mayor to remove "hopelessly compromised" chairperson

If the public is to have full confidence in council's democratic processes, Auckland City Councillor Glenda Fryer has no option but to step down from chairing the hearings panel which will be tasked with assessing public submissions on council's highly contentious proposed changes to signage and billboard bylaws," said Cameron Brewer head of the Newmarket Business Association today.

"We appreciate that the Planning and Regulatory Committee, chaired by Cr Fryer, yesterday resolved to look at appointing an independent commissioner to the hearings panel. However this does not go far enough. Councillor Fryer, the biggest public advocate for change, needs to step aside from chairing the Hearings Panel. She is hopelessly compromised. That is the mounting public perception.

"Given Councillor Fryer's well publicised anti-signage push over the past couple of months there is a growing public perception that she would naturally struggle to view submissions with the required impartiality.

"This is a major policy shift which the New Zealand Sign and Display Association believes will affect 95% of all Auckland City businesses and if implemented will cost each small business on average between $5,000 - $7,000. It's going to have huge and costly consequences for most of Auckland's 50,000 plus businesses.

"The public, retailers and business owners deserve a fair hearing. No one can argue that having Councillor Fryer chairing the hearings is fair. She has a well known and very strong personal view on signage and billboards. She has no option but to exclude herself from the submission process that publicly purports to be impartial.

"If Councillor Fryer refuses to budge, the Mayor needs to come out of hiding and show some leadership. The Mayor is a supposedly a strong advocate for democratic transparency and inclusiveness. This is his chance to do the right and proper thing," said Mr Brewer.

ENDS

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