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Robyn Edie / Stuff
Invercargill City Council Executive Director Clare Hadley. [File photo].
Invercargill’s incoming deputy mayor Nobby Clark has concerns about the council’s executive director’s dialogue with the Department of Home Affairs prior to receiving a letter from the DIA.
The DIA sent a letter to Invercargill Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt and council executive director Clare Hadley on Aug. 18, expressing concerns about a “significant conflict” at the council.
He asked the council to conduct an assessment of the governance standard and provide a plan on how the council will restore trust.
An Aug. 24 email from Cr Clark to other councilors, posted to Stuff under the Official Local Government Information and Meetings Act, expressed concern that Hadley had been speaking with senior DIA staff before the council received the letter.
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Kavinda Herath / Things
Invercargill City Councilman Nobby Clark at a council meeting Tuesday.
Speaking to Stuff on Friday, Clark said he was concerned that the DIA had concerns about the council’s performance, and that it had not informed the mayor or council members.
“I thought the CEO, like [the councillors’] sole employee, he would have tipped us off and said, ‘I have had some questions and have been asked to comment on the following matters, and this is what I have said.
“That I am totally blind in that as a councilor, and only found out when we receive the letter [on August 18], that’s not a good process for me. ”
Clark also thought that the DIA would have been in talks with the mayor instead of the CEO.
Hadley declined to comment when approached by Stuff saying he saw no value in having a councilman and the CEO discuss something in the media.
However, in an email from Hadley to councilors, posted to Stuff under the Official Local Government Information and Meetings Act, she explains her discussions with the DIA prior to the DIA and outlines her concerns about the council’s performance. in the letter of August 18.
She wrote that her conversations with the DIA began in January after she was called to verify a candidate’s references.
It led to a new call later that month with a “broad discussion” that took place when the DIA wanted to understand the “lay of the land” at the council.
Hadley couldn’t recall what led to the discussions with DIA official Richard Hardie, but noted that Hardie emailed him in mid-July to get an update on a variety of council matters, “and afterward, we had an email discussion about WasteNet. “
Hadley then emailed Hardie on the DIA on August 11, which followed a request from Cr Ian Pottinger.
“I think it’s important to note that at this time councilors were discussing the performance of the council, and in discussing this with Cr Pottinger, I wanted to understand what support options for the council might be, and the mechanics around observers from the crown”.
In the email, Hadley says she gathered the information with the intention of discussing it in the leadership group. [chairs] meeting on August 18, but that was outweighed by the DIA letter to the council.
