The secrecy regime at Christchurch Council

Stuff reports:

Allegations that senior Christchurch City Council staff manipulated reports and deliberately kept negative information secret were not taken seriously by the former chief executive, a damning report has found. 

The leadership and culture at the organisation, including its senior leadership team, has been heavily criticised by chief ombudsman Peter Boshier in a report investigating openness and transparency at the council. ​

Some specifics:

“Council staff raised concerns with me about various methods employed by some members of the executive leadership team to keep negative information about the council form the public and/or elected members.

“These methods allegedly included manipulating or removing information from reports, project reporting not occurring, staff being told not to record information or to keep information in draft form.”

And the response from the Mayor:

In a statement, Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said she was 100 per cent supportive of the work being done to improve the Council’s official information practices.

“We are absolutely committed to the principles of openness and transparency that underpin the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.”

Except you weren’t. The opposite was the case.