Four gold stars for councillor attendance
Two Ashburton District councillors have missed a quarter of council meetings in the past year - one who has only been a councillor since May.
Meanwhile, four have maintained perfect attendance.
According to council attendance records there have been 23 meetings between the new council being sworn in on October 27 last year, and its last meeting on October 31.
Councillors Carolyn Cameron, Russell Ellis, Richard Wilson, and Lynette Lovett have 100% attendance records to date this term.
Councillor Leen Braam missed the first four meetings of the term following the election as he was overseas visiting family in the Netherlands.
He then missed two other meetings since to have a 75% attendance rate.
Braam said that other absences have been down to suffering from long Covid.
“It’s made it a bit harder for me and I’m still getting out of it”.
Councillor Rob Mackle was only elected in May this year and has a 64% attendance rate.
He won the Western Ward by-election following Rodger Letham’s death in December and was sworn in at the May 17 meeting.
Mackle has missed four of 11 meetings, which he said was for “various reasons”.
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown has missed three meetings, an 84% attendance rate.
Deputy mayor Liz McMillan and first-term councillors Phil Hooper and Tony Todd have missed one meeting each.
An apology was recorded for all of the councillors' absences.
Under the council’s standing orders, the mayor, or acting chair, must invite apologies at the start of each meeting, including apologies for lateness or early departure.
The meeting can accept or decline any apologies.
The acceptance of a member’s apology constitutes a grant of ‘leave of absence’ for the meeting.
Members may be recorded as absent on council business if their absence is for that reason.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.1% Yes
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46.9% No
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
Turn Wallpaper Scraps into Beautiful Blossoms
These blossoms made from Resene wallpaper left over after decorating will mean your décor will be blooming gorgeous, no matter the season. Find out how to create your own wallpaper flowers with these easy step by step instructions.
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