Commitment questioned as absent councillor removed from committee

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

First-term Gisborne district councillor Nick Tupara has been lambasted for his poor attendance record at council meetings and removed from a newly formed council committee.

At yesterday’s full council meeting, councillor Larry Foster said he had “a bit of a problem with councillor Tupara, I’m afraid”.

Cr Foster said he would not second the (absence) apologies for Cr Tupara and Cr Rhonda Tibble, although Cr Foster had no issues with Cr Tibble’s absence.

“There’s so many apologies, (for) not turning up,” he said. “I’m not happy just progressing, accepting apologies and no one turning up.

“We’re all committed to this role and the commitment of this one person is just not happening, I’m afraid. I think it needs to be addressed.”

Mayor Rehette Stolz asked for councillors to accept the apology from Cr Tibble only. That was moved by Cr Ani Pahuru-Huriwai, seconded by Cr Debbie Gregory and accepted by other councillors.

Mayor Stoltz said she would follow up the matter with Cr Tupara.

Later in the meeting, Cr Tupara was removed from the newly formed Tairawhiti Resource Management committee. Councillors were asked to reconfirm the membership as being councillors Foster, Tupara, Colin Alder, Rawinia Parata and Aubrey Ria with Mayor Stoltz as chair.

Cr Josh Wharehinga nominated himself for the committee in lieu of Cr Tupara.  The committee did incredible mahi and “I’m up for the mahi”, he said.

Cr Foster said training for the committee required taking the Making Good Decisions course.

It was an intense course with an exam, required out-of-town travelling and added to a councillor’s work load.

Cr Wharehinga said he had completed the course.

Director of Sustainable Futures Jo Noble said the committee, in also having two independent commissioners, would not need every councillor to undertake the training.

The vote to replace Cr Tupara with Cr Wharehinga was unanimous.

Council records show that in the 12 months after the election of October 2022, Cr Tupara attended 87 percent of meetings and workshops — ahead of only first-termers Cr Tibble on 77 percent and Cr Ria at 70 percent.

Seats also remain on the Tairawhiti Resource Management committee if iwi decide to take up their right to participate. The staff report before councillors said it was apparent that participating on the committee “did not align with the preferences of iwi”.