Former chairman Allan Birchfield takes the oath at the swearing in for the new triennium, in October, as chief executive Heather Mabin looks on. She immediately announced her resignation after the new council was sworn in. Photo: Greymouth Star/ Brendon McMahon
Wellington officials say they see no reason to step in over tensions at West Coast Regional Council.
Talk has been aired - including from within the council itself - of the council being placed in the hands of a commissioner because of internal wrangling.
The major flashpoint is the alleged broken relationship between ousted chairman Allan Birchfield and the chief executive Heather Mabin, who is herself about to leave. The council has had three chief executives in three years.
However, on Thursday, the Department of Internal Affairs said while there might be matters of interest around the way the council conducted itself, those were matters for the council to sort, not the department.
"Councils are accountable to their communities for their actions and decisions," a spokesperson said.
"It is not unusual for councils to experience problems in the governance and management of their community.
"The department is aware of the situation at West Coast Regional Council."
They said there were often more problems at the beginning of each three-year term "as new relationships and ways of working" were established.
"The department is not aware of any petition in the last 18 months to replace the council with commissioners."
West Coast Regional Council headquarters at Paroa. Photo: Greymouth Star / Brendon McMahon
The primary role of Internal Affairs is to keep abreast of the council role and to keep government ministers briefed.
There had been nothing of note regarding the regional council, the department said.
Meanwhile, Birchfield - who was deposed in a coup by fellow councillors seven weeks ago - has laid a formal complaint over his alleged exclusion from the interview panel for a new chief executive.
On Wednesday, Mabin said she was obliged to investigate any formal complaint and had begun an independent inquiry.
In a five-point email, Birchfield complained among other things that his exclusion from the recruitment process "was not lawful".
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