However, board chairman Steven Joyce has noted a lack of information on Cr Ong and said the board felt its current membership was appropriate, public documents released last week show.
Cr Ong said he was happy to contribute his oft-referenced banking background to the company.
‘‘... As well as myself in my own, personal digital media, in any way considered suitable and legally cleared, that I can as a shareholder and dedicated community member to NZME, whether or not I have any formal type of role in the future,’’ he said.
In the annual shareholders’ meeting agenda, Mr Joyce noted the board did not have ‘‘sufficient information regarding Mr Ong to form a view regarding the specific relevant skills and expertise that he would bring to the NZME board’’.
‘‘The board is of the view that the ongoing board, which ... will be comprised of six directors including those directors up for re-election, is an appropriate size and possesses an appropriate balance of skills and expertise having regard to the size and nature of NZME’s business.’’
NZME brands include its flagship national newspaper The New Zealand Herald.
The re-election of two incumbent directors was unanimously supported by the board.
The agenda for the April 22 meeting showed Cr Ong nominated himself for the role.
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker will seek approval from the Dunedin City Council at tomorrow’s meeting to remove Cr Ong as the council’s representative on the Otago Settlers Association and the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum board.
She had already stripped him of his role as deputy lead of the technology portfolio.
Cr Ong said, given this, he was pleased to allocate his time to ‘‘serve our community in other great, board ways’’ such as with NZME.
Cr Ong has had a troubled start to the term as a new councillor, including arriving at one meeting with tape over his mouth.
He soon had to leave when his privileges about attending informal meetings were revoked.
Last year, Cr Ong lodged a complaint against Cr John Chambers for ‘‘discriminatory remarks’’, but this was found to be without substance.
Councillors at Wednesday’s meeting will also consider an independent investigator’s report that found Cr Ong was in serious breach of the council’s code of conduct following an email he sent last month about a council staff member.
If councillors accept the findings, they might then decide upon sanctions, such as asking Cr Ong to apologise or asking him to consider resigning.
Cr Ong has said he has no intention of resigning.
