Counselor who leaked information from claims

The advice is stripped of Nikki Gladding of its participation in the audit, finance and risk and infrastructure committees.
Photo: Facebook/Niki Gladding

A counselor who leaked the District Council of Queenstown Lakes to pump the sewage treated on the Shotover river states that the advice is again failing to follow the due process in its change to remove it from responsibilities.

Niki Gladding revealed last week that the advice was planning to invoke emergency powers to pump 12,000 cubic meters of sewage treated on the Shotover river per day.

This started on Monday, despite the indignation of some in the community.

The board will hold an extraordinary meeting tomorrow, called by Mayor Glyn Lewers.

A public report, prepared for the Tuesday meeting, recommended to strip the joy of its members of the audit, finance and risks and infrastructure committees, as well as its role as vice president of the infrastructure committee.

Gladding said the advice was not again following the proper process.

Usually, when there was an allegation of a violation of code of conduct, an independent investigator would be assigned, she said.

“They talked to you and looked at the code of conduct and where you violated, if you violated and the context in which you violated and made recommendations. And politics says it’s really important that it is an independent process, and is seen as independent and not political. Therefore, this is just bizarre.”

She didn’t fight the board’s decision on Tuesday, Gladding said.

A council door said that the attribution of an independent investigator would usually be the standard process and was still an open way to the counselors.

“However, as detailed in the report (available on the QLDC website), as there were two earlier instances of violations of the Confidentiality Code for this counselor, the cost, time and resources of carrying out this process, and the clear and intentional violated the time (the Gladding Council advised the counselors and the CE it was doing), the report recommends the consultant.

The test at the venue of treated wastewater had always been conducted daily and would continue, the council said.

SUBSCRIBE TO NGā Pytopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter Curated by our editors and deliver it directly to your inbox every day of the week.