Dunedin City Council keep director's pay secret

Future remuneration levels for directors of Dunedin City Holding Limited have been removed from the public version of the Larsen Report, which found the Dunedin City Council is “highly dysfunctional” and will owe $700 million in debt by 2014.

The Larsen report examined all of the companies in which Dunedin City Council and or Dunedin City Holdings Ltd has an equity interest of 50% or more.

The report cost rate payers $25,340.40, according to an official information request .

The DCC have two versions of the report - one for internal use, and one for Dunedin's rate payers.

The DCC have removed whole pages from the public version to conceal information.

Dunedin City Holdings Limited manage companies owned by Dunedin ratepayers.

The companies managed are :

Aurora Energy
City Forests Ltd
Delta Utility Services Ltd
Dunedin City Treasury Ltd
Taieri Gorge Railway Ltd

The Larsen report asked “what is the fundamental purpose of Dunedin City Council (DCC)?”

The report reveals problems at DCC have existed for some time, but have become more obvious as a consequence of funding major infrastructure projects.

Projects which have highlighted cracks within DCC include the Forsyth Bar stadium, The settlers museum, The Dunedin center, and the wastewater treatment plant, the report states.

The Dunedin Guardian made a formal request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) to the Dunedin Council to reveal the redacted parts of the report.

The DCC declined this request, citing LGOIMA legislation loopholes to keep report findings secret from Dunedin rate payers.

The Dunedin Guardian has appealed to the Ombudsmen to make the DCC reveal the redacted information.

Dunedin City council has given its reason for keeping parts of the report's findings secret, here.

Reasons given for withholding information include :

Page 16
The section that has been withheld details possible future remuneration levels for Directors of DCHL. This information is withheld pursuant to section 7(2)(h) of LGOIMA to allow the Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities and pursuant to section 7(2)(i) of LGOIMA, to allow the Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations.

Page 17
This section has been withheld pursuant to section 7(2)(a) of LGOIMA to protect the privacy of natural persons.

Page 20, first paragraph – last sentence
This information is withheld pursuant to section 7(2)(b)(ii) of LGOIMA so as not to unreasonably prejudice the commercial position of the Council and the companies, and pursuant to section 7(2)(h) of LGOIMA to allow the Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities.

Page 20, paragraph 5- final sentence
This information is withheld pursuant to section 7(2)(f)(i) to allow the free and frank expression of opinion between the report writer and the Council.

Page 23, last paragraph
This information is withheld pursuant to section 7(2)(b)(ii) of LGOIMA so as not to unreasonably prejudice the commercial position of the Council and pursuant to section 7(2)(h) of LGOIMA to allow the Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities.

Page 24, first paragraph
This information is withheld pursuant to section 7(2)(f)(i) to allow the free and frank expression of opinion between the report writer and the Council.

Page 33, Conclusion
This sentence is withheld pursuant to section 7(2)(f)(i) to allow the free and frank expression of opinion between the report writer and the Council and pursuant to section 7(2)(b)(ii) of LGOIMA so as not to unreasonably prejudice the commercial position of the Council.