Counselor Niki Gladding can be stripped of responsibilities after leakage of information

Queenstown counselor Niki Glutging.
Photo: Facebook/Niki Gladding

A Queenstown counselor who revealed a confidential board plan to unload the treated sewage on the Shotover river can be stripped of his responsibilities.

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

The council had been plagued for reasons of compliance related to the sewage disposal of its wastewater treatment plant and said that the wastewater of lagoons created danger for aircraft at the neighboring Queenstown airport.

An extraordinary meeting was called by Mayor Glyn Lewers for next Tuesday.

Stuart Mclauchlan, presidential president of the board’s audit, finance and risk committee, wrote Lewers and said Gladding violated the board’s code of conduct.

“I was informed of the actions of the counselor alleging confidential information that leaks to third parties and assuming a public position (in favor or against the board) based on the knowledge of confidential information,” said the letter of McLauchlan.

“This is a clear violation of the Code of Conduct of a member of the AFRC (Audit Committee, Finance and Risks) and a board member and, as such, would like the Gladding counselor to be removed as a member of the AFRC.”

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.

“Since the topic was a lawsuit in progress still before the Court and included legal counseling on various related matters, the briefing was carried out with the public excluded with the argument that available this available information would impair the maintenance of the law, including prevention, investigation and detection of offenses and the right to good judgment,” the report said.

“The counselors were advised during this briefing that the consultations were needed with IWI and other affected or interested parties before more decisions were made.”

The Shoover River.
Photo: SELLPHOTO1/123RF

The report said that during and after Briefing Gladding signaled, she did not agree with the decision to exclude Pubi and intended to make a public statement.

“In response, the chief executive clearly advised that this would be a break from the counselor’s responsibilities and commitments,” he said.

The report said that when the information was released, it placed the officers and the chief executive in the position of “having to respond” to the main stakeholders.

“The main stakeholders expressed disappointment to know the subject through the media channels,” he said.

The report noted that gladding was the subject of previous violations of the Code of Conduct related to confidentiality violations and the provision of confidential information to the media.

“Notably, after an independent investigation, after two complaints against counselor Gladding, the Code of Code Committee and the Council considered it violation and that the matter was a serious and material matter.

“At that time, advisor Gladding was forced to work with a mentor in terms of adherence to good practices and forbidden to participate in any discretionary training for a minimum of 12 months.”

She also received a letter from the mayor in July 2024, raising worries about her behavior in a podcast.

“It is advisable that you have made a number of disrespectful comments about the QLDC team and did not respect the decisions of the majority of the board. For greater clarity, I am familiar with the transcription of the podcast,” Lewers wrote.

“I was even more informed that you made several statements, accusations and criticism in the podcast. If you would like to raise any constructively raising subject within a credible forum, my door is open.

“I have no problem with individuals with their own unique opinions and I appreciate that this work is challenging, but the way to build confidence and trust in our community is not publicly harming and criticized public servants.”

The board report provided the counselors the option of taking the joy of their duties, conducting an investigation of the Code of Conduct or not taking any action.

RNZ approached Gladding to comment.

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