Councillors have voted 8-2 to discharge Niki Gladding from positions on two council subcommittees in a highly charged meeting this afternoon (Tuesday April 1).

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) mayor Glyn Lewers called the meeting to consider whether Niki should be stripped of the responsibilities after she revealed a confidential council plan to discharge treated wastewater into the Shotover River.

The highly-publicised wastewater treatment issue has turned into a “media storm” according to one councillor and “reinforced a narrative of conspiracy” according to another.

Tensions were high as councillors debated the appropriate right course of action, with views on Niki’s disclosure ranging from a well-intentioned error in judgment to an irresponsible and damaging bid for attention.

Councillor Gavin Bartlett said councillors were given “very clear reasons” why the information about the wastewater treatment proposal was confidential when councillors were informed just days ahead of a planned media briefing by the council.

Elected members (from left) Matthew Wong, Quentin Smith, Niki Gladding, Lisa Guy, Cody Tucker, mayor Glyn Lewers, Craig (Ferg) Ferguson, Esther Whitehead, Melissa White, Gavin Bartlett, Lyal Cocks and Barry Bruce.

Fellow councillor Lyal Cocks said the breach of rules had “achieved nothing except creating angst in the community, putting at risk the trust we have with our key stakeholders…and putting at risk the mediation process under the enforcement order”.

Niki, who was subject to a code of conduct investigation over a previous breach in 2020, had “again brought into question her trustworthiness”, Lyal said.

Other councillors defended Niki’s intentions, if not her actions.

Councillor Matt Wong said Niki’s heart was, “and has always been in”, in the right place, while councillor Cody Tucker described her as perhaps one of the hardest-working councillors in the country.

Deputy mayor Quentin Smith and councillor Esther Whitehead, the two councillors to vote against discharging Niki from the subcommittee positions, said it was not an appropriate response.

Both said an independent code of conduct investigation was the correct way to deal with the issue, with Esther describing it as a “fairer process”.

Niki, who presented to the council in front of a public gallery full of supporters, also said she had “no issue” with going through a code of conduct investigation.

The issue was “not black and white”, she said. 

“We make judgements based on our values and the way we see the world and our community votes us in for those things,” she said.

“We have to be careful when we sit as judge and jury on each other.”

Glyn said the decision before council was “not about the guilt or otherwise of Niki Gladding”.

“It is about whether it is appropriate for someone who has released legally privileged information to be sitting on a committee of council.”

Niki will be replaced by Gavin on the audit, finance and risk committee, while on the infrastructure committee she will be replaced by Cody (deputy chair) and Lisa Guy.

PHOTOS: QLDC