Invercargill city councillors met this evening to discuss the final report from its independent governance review but the meeting was quickly moved into public excluded. 

It is the second time the report has come onto the council agenda and discussed in private.

The governance review was requested by the Department of Internal Affairs, after reports of “significant conflict” between elected members and the chief executive surfaced in the media. 

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Richard Thomson was appointed in September as an independent evaluator to conduct the review process.

The ICC has allocated $70,000 of unbudgeted expenditure to cover the review costs.

However, this figure was an estimate in September and could change.

Mr Thomson has been interviewing councillors and staff and observing meetings to report his findings and recommendations back to council and the DIA.

The council discussed Mr Thomson’s draft review report in public excluded last week and this evening’s extraordinary meeting was to discuss the final report.

Richard Thomson, left, listens during an Invercargill City Council meeting this evening. PHOTO: Lucy Henry

Before the public were excluded, mayor Sir Tim Shabolt, who was chairing the meeting, went to move a motion regarding the late items, but instead referred to a councillor’s tardiness.

“Would you like to explain why you’re late?” he asked. 

Cr Alex Crackett interjected and referred to item four of the agenda where it stated he must move the two late items into public excluded.

“Your worship on item four here you have to move two major late items and it says here that the name of the major late items is an ‘independent governance review finding and next steps’. The reason why is that the contributing material was not available at the time of the agenda setting,” Cr Crackett said.

She then said the item could not be delayed “due to ongoing process to meet the DIA investigation process requirements.”

The mayor then thanked Cr Crackett for clarifying and moved the two major late items.

The public were then excluded, excepting Mr Thomson, ICC independent governance advisor Bruce Robertson, advisor Jane Parfitt and communications advisor Amanda Healy.