A West Coast council has questioned its chief executive’s paid Koru Club membership in light of the current economic climate. The Westland District Council’s sensitive expenditure policy, which covers staff and elected member entitlements on everything from travel and accommodation to meals and morning tea shouts, was recently reviewed by its audit and risk committee. At a committee meeting this week, Cr Euan Mackenzie said times had changed for councils and ‘‘bells and whistles’’ like airline memberships would not be seen as conservative. ‘‘The economic environment is pretty dire. There’s lots of liquidations, people losing their jobs, really high unemployment. A lot of these bells and whistles in this policy, a lot of other people aren’t getting — even in the private sector,’’ he said. ‘‘Then they read this ‘chief executive access to the Koru lounge’ and stuff like that. It’s nice to have … but not really necessary for one of the smallest councils in the country,’’ Cr Mackenzie said. The sensitive expenditure policy stipulates the chief executive, currently Barbara Phillips, is entitled to a Koru Club or equivalent airline membership — paid by the council — to reflect council business travel needs. Air NZ’s website shows an annual individual Koru membership costs $875. Mayor Helen Lash supported the policy being ‘‘tightened up’’. She made reference to previous and historic occasions where such expenditure ‘‘had been taken advantage of’’. However, Cr Mackenzie believed a revision to tighten things up could go further. He asked if a statement could be added that any expenditure was always to be on a ‘‘conservative’’ basis. ‘‘If we’re reading the room we’ve got to acknowledge that we’re not in the economic environment councils were in five, 10, or 15 years ago.’’
