REVEALED: Ōtorohanga District Council treating accountability like a threat

The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union can reveal through a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act response that the Council is tagging information requests as “high” or “medium” risk based on who requested it.

Sitting at the top of the “high risk” list, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator Rhys Hurley said:

“We’d almost take this as a compliment—if it wasn’t so deeply concerning.”

“Ratepayers and other groups are asking perfectly reasonable questions, yet instead of simply answering them, Council bureaucrats are red-flagging anyone who looks too closely at their bloated books.”

“Councils aren’t private companies, and shielding themselves from public scrutiny is no excuse."

"Local government exists to serve the public, so ratepayers have every right to see official information without wading through the spin doctor treatment.”

“This isn’t just about Ōtorohanga. If this Council is drawing up hit lists of who they think is dangerous for asking questions, how many others are doing the same?”