Far North District councillors have been given a scolding by Mayor Wayne Brown over their attendance at Long Term Plan public meetings.
The council held a series of public meetings in March and April at Kaikohe, Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Mangonui, Paihia, Rawene and Russell to seek feedback on its plans to radically change the way rates are calculated.
Mr Brown was unimpressed by the number of councillors at some meetings, saying the public could have come to the conclusion that they didn't care. Councillors needed to go to all meetings - or at least those in their own wards - to be exposed to the full range of views.
All councillors were expected at the Long Term Plan hearings, likely to be held over three days in May. "You'll have to have a pretty good disease not to turn up to the hearings," Mr Brown said.