Invercargill mayor objects to meeting absence
“I would like to record that I don’t accept that apology."
Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark has taken the unusual approach of objecting to a council mana whenua representative’s absence from a committee meeting.
On Tuesday - as per any council meeting - committee chair Grant Dermody made a note of the apologies for the infrastructure and projects meeting that day.
There were two apologies - Cr Peter Kett and Evelyn Cook.
Cook represents the Waihōpai Rūnaka at the Invercargill City Council.
Clark then objected to that notification of Cook’s apology.
“I would like to record that I don’t accept that apology,” he said.
Dermody asked if Clark wanted to state the reasons why.
“Certainly. The [mana whenua] representative has not attended a number of council meetings where we would normally expect her to be present.
“She has claimed she is unwell and has been out at other public meetings as recently as the last few days, and participated there.
“Given the nature of what we are dealing with today, and what we dealt with in the [Water Done Well] workshop, I would have thought her presence was really important.
“I have mentioned that to the chair of her rūnanga.”
The last council meeting Cook attended in person was on October 29, although she did attend two committee meetings via video link on November 12.
The Tribune has emailed Cook about Mayor Clark’s comments and provided an opportunity for her to respond to what Clark said at the meeting.
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It appears there has been some tension between Mayor Clark and Cook - particularly in relation to the Southern Regional Collections Trust, which Cook is a trustee of.
Clark said the council has pulled its funding for the trust as they work through various issues, which included access to artifacts that the Collection Trust governs, he said.
That matter was raised at Tuesday’s meeting, as was a suggestion in a staff report that there were “issues within the [museum] experience design group and support from Iwi and the Collections Trust”.
Cook is one of two Invercargill City Council mana whenua representatives. The other is Pania Coote who represents Te Rūnanga o Awarua.
Coote stressed at Tuesday’s meeting that iwi certainly did support the museum project.
The Mana whenua seats were introduced to the Invercargill City Council in 2021 with the two rūnaka nominating Cook and Coote to fill the roles.
The pair have full voting and speaking rights at committee meetings and are also able to attend and speak at full council meetings but without voting rights.
From the Mayor who took extended health leave himself.
Clarke just showing us the person he is.