Rotorua ratepayer group's Reynold Macpherson seeks apologies after council meeting

Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers secretary Dr Reynold Macpherson. Photo / Supplied

Reynold Macpherson is calling for the mayor and deputy mayor to apologise after councillors were barred from asking questions about his ratepayer group's Lakefront development petition.

Macpherson, on behalf of the Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers group, presented a petition of about 1600 signatures opposing the development at the Rotorua Lakes Council meeting on Thursday.

Macpherson's presentation included comments made during signature gathering. One comment used the term "iwitocracy" meaning iwi bureaucracy.

Deputy Mayor Dave Donaldson took offence at to the term at the meeting and raised a point of order, asking Mayor Steve Chadwick to "terminate the presentation".

Chadwick did so and ruled questions were "out of order".

Macpherson has called for an apology.

He told the Rotorua Daily Post the term used at the meeting was not his but was used by petition signatories.

Macpherson said he shared his Powerpoint presentation with the council before the meeting.

"The honourable way forward for the mayor and deputy mayor is to apologise ... and to cancel the suppression of questions by councillors."

Donaldson told the

Rotorua Daily Post

he would not be apologising.

Deputy Mayor Dave Donaldson says he won't be apologising as he found the term offensive. Photo / File

He said he looked through the petition before the meeting and did not recall seeing the word ''iwitocracy'' in it.

"Reynold chose to pick it from wherever it comes and put it in his presentation, I find it offensive.

"My view is my view. The decision to uphold it was her worship's [Chadwick]."

In a written statement yesterday, Chadwick said: "I ruled on a point of order in my role as chair and as per the standing orders because I agreed it was offensive".

When approached by the Rotorua Daily Post, Te Arawa's Sir Toby Curtis said he was "deeply and utterly hurt" by the term.

"How can they say that when iwi have done so much to help the council?

"We have given so much, thousands of acres, to make sure people that come here to live have a comfortable life."