The Local Government Minister says Wellington Council's new Crown observer will deal with relationship issues and help them get their long term plan over the line.
Former Chief Executive Officer of Tasman Gisborne District Councils, Lindsey McKenzie, has been appointed to the role.
Simeon Brown says he will be in place until July 31st, 2025.
He says that will mean he's with them until the Long Term Plan is due.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ever, now the government has appointed a chap called Lindsay
McKenzie to be the Crown Observer to Wellington City Council. Now,
Lindsay McKenzie comes with experience. He was the CEO of
Tasman and Gisban District Councils. He also helped out in
Vicargo City Council with government's issues, so he knows what
he's doing. Local Government Minister Simeon Brown is with us
a Simon Good evening, so he's starting on Wednesday, which
is pretty quick. Why are you getting him in there
(00:22):
so quickly, Well, there's.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
A number of reasons. Firstly, the issue around the long
term Plan is under council. Of course, one of the
reasons why we've decided to point an observer one because
there's been a number of relationship issues at the council
to the long term plans being fully relitigated and so
the council's going through that process. They asked me to
get someone in there as quickly as they can to
(00:44):
assist with that process. So we've identified Lindsay. He's got
local government experience and background. He'll be able to provide
another set of eyes and ears into that council. Reporting
to me, but also his experience having dealt with issues
in Thecargill District Council will mean that he's able to
assist Wellington with the challenges they're facing.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I see you've got an end date on his contract,
so thirty first of July next year he's finished. But
what if it's still a mess.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Well the issue here is the key issue is that
they decided to relitigate their long term plans, so they
need to have that fixed by the middle of next year.
And so my intention is for that observer to be
there during the process of the council going through its
long term plan, reconsulting on it and then finalizing it.
But after that we'll be shortly going into the local
(01:31):
government elections and the people of Wellington will presenting them.
I don't intend for the observer to stay during that period.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Okay, you mentioned relationship issues. Is he going to deal
with things like the thing that's in the paper today
where Liz the counselor shouted at Diane the councilor, which
made Tony and Nickel of the councilor's right to the
mayor to try to sort it out. Is that the
kind of thing he's going to deal with.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Well an yeah, as I said, there's a number of
issues that need to be sort of that. One is
the relationship issues, which is the personalities.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
And how does he deal with this? What's he going
to do is sit there and go Okay, there's sit down,
shut up, observe.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
The observer has the ability to assist the council. He's
not making decisions on behalf of the council, but he's
able to assist the council lose the mayor and provide
another set of eyes and ears and another set of advice.
That's one of the roles of a council observer. And
we put what that, what is being seen or what's happening?
(02:29):
The third is around this. This is you know, he
comes with a lot of experience in local government. He
currently sits on the Nelson City Council Audit and Risk Committee,
is a deependent member. He's got good financial experience and literacy.
He's going to be able to system as they go
through that process and give them another set of another
(02:50):
another some external advice. Effectively, if they on the council
and looking and it's up to them, but another set
of advice. So that they can actually look at the
issues that they've been granted with and be given some further.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
This is to me and let me just get this right.
This is for the councilors who are just ordinary lay
people elected to this position. He sits there and they go, Lindsey,
can you explain to us the most important things in
this financial document? And he'll be able to do that.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
That's correct and ultimately at the moment they have the
Chief Executive of Wellington City Council does that having an
observer in there as an ability to the council with
another effective but also provide aster as well.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Okay, and what if is one of the problems with
Wellington City Council is that there's been a relationship breakdown
between the unelected officials like the Chief Executive and the
elected people. Right, so is he going to be able
to sit there and go, hey, Barbara, the Chief Executive,
I know you need to give them more information handed over?
Can he take his own initiative there?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
He is able to assist the council on those issues
in terms of the terms of references around the long
term plan. So he's able to provide another another set
of advice to the councilors and to the mayor the
issues that they are facing as they go through their
long term plan process.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Good stuff, Hey Simon, thanks very much, really appreciate it.
To me and Brown, the local government minister. For more
from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to news Talks
it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
Ever, now the government has appointed a chap called Lindsay
McKenzie to be the Crown Observer to Wellington City Council. Now,
Lindsay McKenzie comes with experience. He was the CEO of
Tasman and Gisban District Councils. He also helped out in
Vicargo City Council with government's issues, so he knows what
he's doing. Local Government Minister Simeon Brown is with us
a Simon Good evening, so he's starting on Wednesday, which
is pretty quick. Why are you getting him in there
(00:22):
so quickly, Well, there's.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
A number of reasons. Firstly, the issue around the long
term Plan is under council. Of course, one of the
reasons why we've decided to point an observer one because
there's been a number of relationship issues at the council
to the long term plans being fully relitigated and so
the council's going through that process. They asked me to
get someone in there as quickly as they can to
(00:44):
assist with that process. So we've identified Lindsay. He's got
local government experience and background. He'll be able to provide
another set of eyes and ears into that council. Reporting
to me, but also his experience having dealt with issues
in Thecargill District Council will mean that he's able to
assist Wellington with the challenges they're facing.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I see you've got an end date on his contract,
so thirty first of July next year he's finished. But
what if it's still a mess.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Well the issue here is the key issue is that
they decided to relitigate their long term plans, so they
need to have that fixed by the middle of next year.
And so my intention is for that observer to be
there during the process of the council going through its
long term plan, reconsulting on it and then finalizing it.
But after that we'll be shortly going into the local
(01:31):
government elections and the people of Wellington will presenting them.
I don't intend for the observer to stay during that period.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Okay, you mentioned relationship issues. Is he going to deal
with things like the thing that's in the paper today
where Liz the counselor shouted at Diane the councilor, which
made Tony and Nickel of the councilor's right to the
mayor to try to sort it out. Is that the
kind of thing he's going to deal with.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Well an yeah, as I said, there's a number of
issues that need to be sort of that. One is
the relationship issues, which is the personalities.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
And how does he deal with this? What's he going
to do is sit there and go Okay, there's sit down,
shut up, observe.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
The observer has the ability to assist the council. He's
not making decisions on behalf of the council, but he's
able to assist the council lose the mayor and provide
another set of eyes and ears and another set of advice.
That's one of the roles of a council observer. And
we put what that, what is being seen or what's happening?
(02:29):
The third is around this. This is you know, he
comes with a lot of experience in local government. He
currently sits on the Nelson City Council Audit and Risk Committee,
is a deependent member. He's got good financial experience and literacy.
He's going to be able to system as they go
through that process and give them another set of another
(02:50):
another some external advice. Effectively, if they on the council
and looking and it's up to them, but another set
of advice. So that they can actually look at the
issues that they've been granted with and be given some further.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
This is to me and let me just get this right.
This is for the councilors who are just ordinary lay
people elected to this position. He sits there and they go, Lindsey,
can you explain to us the most important things in
this financial document? And he'll be able to do that.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
That's correct and ultimately at the moment they have the
Chief Executive of Wellington City Council does that having an
observer in there as an ability to the council with
another effective but also provide aster as well.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Okay, and what if is one of the problems with
Wellington City Council is that there's been a relationship breakdown
between the unelected officials like the Chief Executive and the
elected people. Right, so is he going to be able
to sit there and go, hey, Barbara, the Chief Executive,
I know you need to give them more information handed over?
Can he take his own initiative there?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
He is able to assist the council on those issues
in terms of the terms of references around the long
term plan. So he's able to provide another another set
of advice to the councilors and to the mayor the
issues that they are facing as they go through their
long term plan process.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Good stuff, Hey Simon, thanks very much, really appreciate it.
To me and Brown, the local government minister. For more
from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to news Talks
it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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