Simeon Brown: Local Government Minister on the instatement of Lindsay McKenzie as the Crown Observer for Wellington City Council

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says Wellington City Council’s new Crown Observer Lindsay McKenzie will sort through its “dysfunction between personalities".

Former Tasman and Gisborne council boss Lindsay McKenzie will start in the role tomorrow. 

Brown told Mike Hosking that McKenzie will be “working with the mayor and councillors to help them get on.” 

McKenzie’s other role would regard Wellington City Council’s long-term plan, after the council “decided to throw it out and start again.” 

“That’s created some significant concern about the financial position of the council.” 

Brown says he'll be getting monthly reports from McKenzie ahead of a final report at the end of his term on July 31. 

He said McKenzie would provide external advice and assist with a fresh pair of eyes, though it’s up to the council whether they follow the Crown Observer’s guidance. 

“[He is] someone else who … has not been part of all the drama over the last little while and can provide an extra set of advice.” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wellington City Council can put an extra chair out. We've
got Lindsay McKenzie. He's he's a new Crown Monitor. He's
a former boss of Tasman and Gisbon District Councilors. He
starts tomorrow. He's in work until July next year. The
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown's with us Simeon Morning, Good morning.
What's his writing instructions?

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Well, a number of issues. Firstly, they are the councilor's
got dysfunction between personalities, so getting in there and working
with the mayor and councilors to help them get on.
He's done that job as Nimbercargo District Council a couple
of years ago, so that's one of his jobs. And
the other is around the long term plan which the
council's decided to throw out and the start again, and

(00:37):
providing an external pair set of advice to sister council
in terms of the decisions they need to make. But
ultimately the councilors and the mayor are elected democratically, they
are still accountable and responsible for the decisions they made.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
How many how often does he come back to.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
You are beginning monthly reports from him. That's what I've
asked under the terms of reference, as a monthly report
back to me and then a final report at the
end of his term, which will be the thirty first
of July next year or will it well. Ultimately, there's
an election next year for the local councils, so the

(01:11):
mayor and the councilors will be up for reelection. Ultimately,
the key point here is that they have decided to
relestigate the entire long term plan, throw it out and
start again, and that's created some significant concern around the
financial position of the council. I've put an observer in
there to assist the council and amute with an external
set of advice and someone else who can look at things,

(01:33):
a fresh pair of eyes who's not been part of
the all the drama over the last little while, and
not to provide them an extra extra set of advice. Ultimately,
it's up to them as to whether or not they
take that on board, but that person will be there
to assist and also to report back to me as
to what's going on.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Let's hope it works for me and Brown appreciate it.
Local Government Minister with us this

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Morning For more from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live
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