The Rotorua Lakes Council has introduced public forums to its meetings for the first time – but speakers will have to stick to rules. 

While some councillors saw public forums as increasing accessibility to the council, others felt it would stretch staff workloads and be taken advantage of by individuals with concerns better addressed in other ways. . 

Councillor Robert Lee raised the possibility of establishing public forums at a June meeting and elected members asked chief executive Andrew Moraes to bring a paper to the council exploring the idea. 

Wednesday’s meeting agenda noted 85% of councils had some form of public forum. 

“Across local government, there is mixed opinion as to the success and/or value of the public forum,” the report said. 

“It appears that Rotorua Lakes Council has never hosted public forums. A review of agendas dating back to 2000 show no such public forum on any agenda.” 

It also noted various rules and restrictions could be used, such as time limits on speakers and empowering the chairperson to stop or decline a speaker for various reasons. 

In the meeting, Rotorua’s councillors voted to include public forums but agreed to add specific conditions. 

Speakers would be limited to discussing matters within the council’s terms of reference, and their topic could not relate to something elected members would speak to at the meeting. 

They would need to request to speak five working days before the meeting and could not speak within the election period. 

Public forums will be held only in full council meetings. 

These criteria were raised in part by deputy mayor Sandra Kai Fong. She saw the possibility of votes being influenced if a speaker were to raise a topic to be decided on later in the meeting. 

Rotorua Deputy Mayor Sandra Kai Fong wanted clarity on the forum policy before voting. Photo / Laura Smith 

Kai Fong wanted clarity on policy and the implications before voting on the matter. Moraes said councillors could decide whether or not to include forums and the details could be “ironed out” afterwards. 

Councillor Don Paterson said public forums were less daunting for residents than organising petitions, which were already allowed. 

“It’s a little bit more friendly. 

“They will have behaviours to adhere to and forms to fill out, but nowhere near as difficult as organising a petition just to have a kōrero with us.” 

Councillor Trevor Maxwell said it was a good way of being open and transparent. 

“It’s not too hard. It will get us closer to our community.” 

He believed the forums should be restricted in the six-month lead-up to elections. 

Councillor Gregg Brown said he liked the idea of five working days notice and said the inclusion of forums could be used as a trial to be reviewed at the next election. 

“Potentially it‘s messy but I would take messy for the sake of democracy over tidy for process.” 

Councillor Karen Barker said a review would be good so it could evaluate things like staff workload. 

Councillor Robert Lee said it provided an opportunity for the public to talk to councillors. 

“We’re not here to censor them. 

Rotorua Lakes councillor Robert Lee said the forum would give the public an opportunity to talk to councillors. Photo / Laura Smith 

“We’re not here to control what they have to say, unless they are using colourful language or something like that.” 

He said speakers should be asked to give the general topic and “they don’t need to be interrogated beforehand”. As such there would be little administration involved, he said. 

Councillor Fisher Wang said he did not support it and argued elected members were already accessible. 

He said the petition pathway was available for more significant issues. 

Mayor Tania Tapsell’s comments were similar. Tapsell, who previously raised concerns about forums being “weaponised” or used by people wanting “a rant” about issues better addressed in other ways, ran through the various ways she accepted feedback from the community. 

“I know there is criticism that not supporting public forums means you’re not supporting democracy. 

“Actually democracy was the people that voted for us to be here around the table to make our decision. We have always found ways to bring through our communities’ concerns.” 

She also felt it left the process “vulnerable” for individuals to raise issues and matters that were already able to be resolved through requests for service. 

However, given many around the table voiced support for public forums, she said she was happy to be proven wrong in her concerns. 

Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express and has been a journalist for four years. 

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.