A $25,000 investigation into the leak of confidential information about Hastings District Council's plans to build a water museum has been unable to identify the source.
Photo: Hastings District Council
The council ordered an independent investigation into the leak in October after details about the plans, which had only been discussed in public-excluded meetings, were published in the media.
Plans for the water museum were later scrapped.
The investigation found there was a "strong inference" that one or more councillors disclosed the information from councillor-only meetings, but it was not able to say who it was.
Chief executive Nigel Bickle said the council had since improved its processes around access to confidential information.
Investigator Alastair Hall was instructed by Bickle to carry out the review after Hawke's Bay Today published confidential information relating to a proposed water facility in late September.
Hall was tasked with determining if there was an improper disclosure of information on two separate occasions, and, if so, the source of the leak.
He was also tasked with providing recommendations on improving internal systems and processes relating to confidential information, including 'public excluded' agenda items and council meetings.
The report concluded there had been an improper disclosure of a public-excluded agenda item or information related to it, and a "strong inference" one or more councillors, directly or indirectly, had improperly disclosed information from councillor-only meetings.
The investigation was unable to identify the source for either action.
Bickle said the report noted hard copies of council agendas could be shared without leaving a digital footprint.
"While this review was unable to be conclusive in relation to the source of the leak, it has resulted in a set of recommendations for improving council's processes around access to confidential information.
"The report made recommendations relating to policy, process and technology, some of which have already been implemented. We will continue to work through the recommendations to minimise the risk of improper disclosures in the future."
The total cost for the investigation and final report was $25,117.06 plus GST.