Consultation confusion
Glitch or user error? Call to urgently investigate long-term plan feedback muddle
The Wellington City Council is being urged to urgently investigate an alleged glitch in its system that means people are seemingly marked as supporting a position on the long-term plan they actually do not.
But council spokesman Richard MacLean said, after the allegations arose yesterday, the issue was looked into it and the council decided its data was clean. It was down to some people getting “confused”, he said.
“Some people are misreading the question and thinking it’s been answered for them when that’s not the case.”
The council’s long-term plan covers off topics including the council’s proposed 18% rates hike (including a sludge treatment plant “levy”), how much money is spent on fixing pipes, what to do with our waste, as well as local issues such as suburban parking fees and stopping the annual fire works display.
Consultation ended last night with the council having until June 30 to consider submissions and lock in the final plan. The process has already been marred by controversy after a residents’ association boycotted consultation due to the perception outcomes were “pre-determined” and the council stopping most in-person consultation partly due to staff safety concerns.
But multiple people now allege they were seemingly marked down as agreeing with the council positions on topics they did not submit on.
One of them, Scott McMillan, who had already submitted, heard about the issue so yesterday morning made a second submission and only answered one question – saying he was neutral about the city’s fireworks display. He then got an email from the council seemingly showing he had answered two other questions.
The council confirmation email showed he was neutral on the fireworks plus: “Arapaki Service Centre and Temporary Library – bring forward planned closure by 18 months, move in person support services to local libraries”, and “skate park upgrades – remove planned upgrades of Ian Galloway Park and Waitangi Park skate parks – existing facilities continue to be provided and maintained.”
The council says it was just reading him back the questions as opposed to noting his answers – a claim McMillan accepts as council “ineptitude rather than trying to hide” data that went against its preferences.
Chamber of Commerce chief executive Simon Arcus said the council needed to launch an investigation into the issue.
“Omitting an answer is not an endorsement of the council policy. A consultation set up this way brings the entire LTP process into question,” he said.
There was also the question of how many other times past council submissions had been compromised, he said. “It is a real headache for all, but a migraine for democracy if this is a longer term systemic issue.”
Other online forms may have been compromised, he said.
Councillor Diane Calvert said she had spoken to numerous submitters who believed their submissions were being misrepresented. “The governing council and Wellingtonians do need to have trust and confidence in what should be a standard process including accurate and clear representation, collection and collation of results,” Calvert said.
“At the end of the day, this info is used to guide us in making decisions for the future of the city.”
Councillor Rebecca Matthews said she had confirmation from council staff there were “no default responses”. On social media, she asked, “Am I seeing a conspiracy theory unfolding in real time?”