Public cries of 'shame' after Napier Council Onekawa pool decision

Mayor Bill Dalton and Chief Executive Wayne Jack during the meeting on Napier Aquatic Centre. Photo / Paul Taylor

There were calls of "shame" from the public gallery, as Napier City Council voted against re-consulting the public on where the Napier Aquatic Centre should be located.

Council voted seven to six against re-consulting on the issue, following a fiery council meeting in front of a vocal crowd of about 100 residents.

The meeting was called after six councillors said they felt the consultation process had been flawed.

Mayor Bill Dalton said he considered yesterday's decision an example of democracy in action.

"We've had a group of councillors who approached the paper and declared a firm decision on the aquatic strategy, and we had a group of councillors who went along and listened to all arguments and then made a decision."

"At the end of the day, as happens often in a democracy there was a narrow margin on one side."

He said he was not concerned about the outcry which occurred at the end of the meeting.

He said while some people there were genuinely concerned about the pool, a large group go to every controversial council meeting.

"We are trying to do the right thing by the population of 61,000."

He said if someone wanted to take a judicial review around the consultation issue, that was their right.

"But if you look at what happened last time we ended with this great big hooha, cost the council a fortune, you know the ratepayers, cost them probably the thick end of $100,000."

"It then went to a vote and there was an even stronger vote than before for Sunday trading."

"My view is the way to run a council is in council meetings, not through newspapers and not through court."

Councillor Maxine Boag council did not have a good consultation reputation with the public. Photo / Paul Taylor

Councillor Maxine Boag, one of the councillors who supported re-consulting, said it was a disappointing decision.

"In terms of us making that stand, we thought we had to."

"We really felt we had a mandate from the community to at least try to have the decision re-visited."

She said Napier City Council had a bad track record when it came to consultation.

"We don't have a good reputation with the community about consultation."

However, she said as councillors they would get behind the decision now it's been made.

David Kamper , who presented a petition to council asking it to keep the pools in Onekawa, said the decision was disappointing.

"It looked like they had preconceived ideas before they came into the meeting with what they were going to do."

"If they had come in with an open mind there would probably have been a different outcome."

"There was a clear public opinion that it is wrong."

He said he laid a complaint with the ombudsman earlier this month, about consultation process.

"The issue is now what happens with that."

The councillors who voted to re-consult were Kirsten Wise, Maxine Boag, Tony Jeffrey, Richard McGrath, Api Tapine and Larry Dallimore.

Bill Dalton, Faye White, Annette Brosnan, Keith Price, Graeme Taylor, Claire Hague and Tania Wright voted against re-consulting.