Councillor Lisa Austin.
Photo: Supplied
A Nelson city councillor has accused another councillor of trying to oust her from council despite the Auditor-General deciding not to prosecute over her financial interests.
Councillor Lisa Austin and her husband co-own Austin Transport Tippers, which has dealings with two of the council’s contractors but no direct contracts with the council.
The Local Authorities (Members’ Interests) Act prevents people from being elected or appointed as a member of a local authority if they are “concerned or interested” – either personally or through a spouse or partner – in contracts or subcontracts from that authority totalling more than $25,000 per year unless the Auditor-General grants an exemption.
The Auditor-General declined to give Austin an exemption but also said it would not prosecute her as it would not be in the public interest.
Mayor Nick Smith welcomed the decision in May and said it would let councillor Austin to get on with her job.
Mayor Nick Smith welcomed the decision in May to let Lisa Austin get on with her job.
Photo: LDR / Max Frethey
She had not participated in some council meetings because of the issue.
On Friday, Austin said she had become aware that councillor Aaron Stallard was questioning her right to stay in her role and had raised his concerns with the Mayor.
“I have no issue at all with returning to council, I don’t believe there is an issue. I was voted in, and I should remain in my job. I have done absolutely nothing wrong,” she said.
Austin said her family trucking business had no direct council contracts nor any sub-contracts.
“We are basically a service provider who gets hooked up by an hourly rate. We are like a wood delivery service, who might drop some wood off and then send out an invoice,” she said.
Austin believed that the Auditor-General’s decision had resolved the matter.
Stallard was not available for comment and directed inquiries to Smith.
Smith said the council was working hard to resolve the issue.
“The matters are legally privileged and will be discussed in the confidential section of an audit risk and finance committee extraordinary meeting next Thursday 4 June,” he said.
“We are all working together – staff and councillors – to get a solution that if possible avoids a by-election.”
He said Stallard had assured him that he was not trying to oust Austin.
“Councillor Stallard is responsibly performing his role as a councillor in seeking to understand and mitigate the risk that this issue brings to the council organisation, as we all are,” he said.
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