Readers also expressed unease about council giving away such a large quantity of logs free-for-removal with ratepayers picking up an impressive tab for a massive three-day clear up.
On making inquiries about this, a council manager sent me an email in which he stated authoritatively that "the subsequent removal of the logs was put to public tender to get the best result for ratepayers". As I hadn't seen any such notice, I asked council to send me a copy. Nothing happened, so I asked again. Eventually, I was sent a copy of the actual tender. The logs were never advertised publicly. No, they had been disposed of through the most restricted, under-the-radar tender method possible - by "selected invitation only".
Council officers had simply rung round some local firewood merchants. I noticed that the extremely limited tender form had been signed off by the manager, and was surprised that he then tried to justify the choice of the very restricted tender as being best for ratepayers.
In late February, while walking in Tainui Reserve, I noticed that six large, healthy gum saplings had been felled near Hikanui Pa site, close to the gully where 18 trees were illegally felled several years ago.
I wondered if this was another case of vandalism as council had told me previously that all trees within reserves were protected (and this fact is stated in its Draft Reserves Management Plan). I emailed the manager to alert him to this and was gutted when he replied that council had felled them as part of its "thinning programme". I found this quite shocking as the six trees were growing in an open and otherwise empty space, and they were actually enhancing the area. To me, this unnecessary felling was a clear breach of council's own protocol.
Other reserve users contacted me to tell me of their dissatisfaction with the Parks and Reserves Department. They reported to me that they had contacted senior managers on a variety of issues in different Havelock North reserves and their concerns were ignored.
Another concern relates to a long-standing perk given to council staff. They can uplift trailer loads of valuable firewood from its Mangaroa depot for free. While I have no issue with council giving firewood to non-profit groups to help the needy, the best result for ratepayers would be to sell it. With firewood making $250 to $350 a cord, this is a staff perk which needs to stop.
I lodged a 10-point formal complaint to council and included evidence of wrong-doing and abysmal departmental performance.
Remembering the toxic culture and vile practices the 2014 Dog Control Report uncovered within the Animal Control Unit and the positive changes made since, I asked council to commission an independent review into the under-performing Parks and Reserves Department.
Mayor Yule refused, citing cost, and declined to answer or even acknowledge many of my concerns.
That didn't work when I was battling it over the cruelty at the pound, and it won't work now.
Ratepayers are entitled to expect honesty, integrity and accountability from council staff and councillors. After all, we pay their salaries.
- Jessica Maxwell is chairwoman of lobby group Watchdog! and has lived beside Tainui Reserve since 1987.
- Views expressed here are the writer's opinion and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz
