Lobbying advice defended

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden says she acted appropriately by advising a swim school owner how to lobby councillors.

Last week, councillors voted to appoint its in-house service, Aqualand Swim School, as the sole provider at the council-run Queenstown Events Centre - banishing Frankton woman Jane Hughes' Wakatipu Swim School from July.

Ms van Uden confirmed she suggested Hughes lobby councillors directly, and then personally passed on her email the day before the vote.

Council chief executive Adam Feeley said it was inappropriate for Wakatipu Swim School to communicate directly to councillors before the meeting because the expressions of interest process required submissions to go directly to an evaluation panel.

Before the vote at last Thursday's full council meeting, the mayor noted what Mr Feeley called the ''irregularity'' - directing councillors only to consider the evaluation panel's report when voting.

Mr Feeley said: ''In light of this, and the decision reached, I do not consider that the matter needed to be taken further.''

The mayor maintained she took no action on Ms Hughes' behalf, adding: ''Councillors needed to consider all information when making the decision on the issue of a sole provider.

''I consider part of my role is to try and help members of the community through our somewhat difficult and structured processes which, if you are not dealing with them regularly, can be overwhelming and somewhat frustrating when you are trying to have your say.''

Ms Hughes said she was not aware of council protocols and was just trying to share her side of the story. - Mountain Scene

by David Williams 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement