Disgruntled Taupo councillor resigns

Zane Cozens. Photo/File

Disgruntled Taupo district councillor Zane Cozens has officially tendered his resignation from the Taupo District Council.

Mr Cozens, a Turangi-Tongariro ward councillor, sent his resignation to council chief executive Gareth Green at 6pm on Tuesday, three weeks after publicly announcing he intended to quit the council.

He said the decision-making process involving a new council building for Taupo following the discovery of asbestos in the existing building highlighted disparities between Taupo and Turangi and he felt he could no longer make a difference within the council.

At the time Mr Cozens said he was holding off submitting his official resignation until the completion of the annual plan process at the end of June. He did not attend the council meeting to confirm the annual plan on June 27 - tendering his apologies beforehand.

Turangi Tongariro Community Board member Sally Nelson, who confirmed her departure from the Turangi Tongariro Community Board at the same time as Mr Cozens, said she had held off dating her resignation until Mr Cozens lodged his, to avoid the expense of two by-elections.

She said the delay with her formal resignation was "purely to save the taxpayer money" and it would be signed and sealed as soon as Mr Cozens acted.

Resignations take effect as soon as they are presented in writing and formally accepted, requiring local authorities to immediately start the process of replacing the vacant member's seat.

A third party, former Turangi-Tongariro ward councillor and long-serving community board member Maggie Stewart was waiting to see if Mr Cozens is going to act on his threat of resignation.

Mrs Stewart, who narrowly lost her council seat at the last election, said she would be interested in standing in the by-election.

"I have unfinished business with Turangi," she said.

A Turangi-Tongariro by-election process has begun and it is expected to be held in early October.