Horizons councillors have been debating the value of livestreaming their meetings. Photo / File
Horizons councillors have been debating the value of livestreaming their meetings. Photo / File
Horizons Regional Council is to film and livestream more of its meetings - but not as well or as many as some councillors wanted.
Livestreaming was on the agenda at the council's last 2019 meeting on December 17.
For the previous six months, the full council meetings were filmed andavailable live on the council's Facebook page and a few days later on its website.
Analysis showed that across six meetings 800 people watched more than one minute of the livestreams. When it came to the full videos, 234 watched, with one of them watched by only four people.
Chairwoman Rachel Keedwell and councillors Nicola Patrick, Sam Ferguson, Fiona Gordon and Wiremu Te Awe Awe wanted to increase livestreaming of meetings.
Keedwell said livestream technology was here to stay and the trial was a very short one of eight boring "rubber-stamping" meetings.
"We need to give it a proper chance and put out more meetings."
Horizons chairwoman Rachel Keedwell says livestreaming is here to stay. Photo / File
Patrick said Whanganui people wanted to see council debate and numbers would increase if the technology improved. She'd like the catchment and environment committees to be filmed.
"Yes it's an expense, but it's the price of being part of a democratic organisation."
Horowhenua councillor Sam Ferguson said there were big issues coming, such as the proposed change to One Plan nitrogen leaching rules. He'd like people to be able to watch without driving to Palmerston North.
The lack of viewers during the six-month trial was cited by others as a reason not to do more filming.
Rangitīkei councillor Bruce Gordon said people wouldn't understand what they saw without the background councillors received in their workshops.
The "meatiest" discussions take place in committees and workshops, Palmerston North councillor Jono Naylor said, and not at full council meetings.
Councillor John Turkington, also from Rangitīkei, wanted to know the exact cost of all the filming options.
The trial showed no real desire for livestreaming, Whanganui councillor David Cotton said.
"I wouldn't support spending any more money. Most people would prefer us to get on and do our work and not spend so much time on PR."
A first motion to invest in better technology, hire contractors to operate it and film full council and strategy and policy committee meetings was lost, with only five voting in support.
A second motion proposed staff continue using the same basic technology and film both full council and strategy and policy committee meetings, plus any other meeting the chair and chief executive deem of public interest.
The cost of filming the committee as well as full council will double the current spend of $16,200, and each extra meeting will cost an additional $800.
That motion was carried, with only Turkington and Gordon voting against it.
