Laura Fergusson Trust accused of bias in membership applications

A debt-ridden Auckland society is being accused of refusing membership applications from people who might question its plans.

It is widely speculated that the Laura Fergusson Trust will sell its Greenlane site to recoup losses.

Those trying to save the site say membership applications are being rejected for suspect reasons.

Before its closure in August, Laura Fergusson Rehabilitation in Greenlane cared for thousands of Aucklanders with disabilities.

Many now want to join the incorporated society to help make decisions on the service's future.

Financial records show the trust has between 30 to 50 paying members.

Following a board meeting last month, a number of membership applications were rejected without explanation.

Independent disability advocate Jane Carrigan filed applications on behalf of three disabled people.

Carrigan said the board secretary emailed late the night before wanting more information before a board decision the next day.

She was not told the meeting, and therefore the deadline, was before breakfast.

"It turned out their meeting started until 7am. I didn't get my email into them until 7.36am - 36 minutes late. Then I received another email saying 'we had failed to get the material to the board and so the memberships have not been advanced'."

But she said the email she received at 9.15pm the night before didn't mention the board meeting started at 7am.

Company director Victoria Carter and her husband, John Carter, a qualified lawyer, were another two rejected.

Victoria said the trust had never scrutinised new members like this before.

"The faceless trustees, chairman Chris O'Brien; businessmen Richard Glenn, Simon Barclay, John Magness of Magness Benrow; former parks director Rob Small and massage therapist Shelly (Moana) Hiha - the directors - are all deciding who can be part of this charity for the disabled," she said.

And it makes her wonder what they are hiding.

"Why don't they want some new blood to energise the charity? Is it because they've got plans to sell this asset that frankly belongs to the disabled of Auckland," she said.

Another who applied is Sophia Malthus who is paralysed from the neck down.

In 2017, she spent nine months at Laura Fergusson and was surprised to receive an email wanting to discuss her application in person.

She said the trust knew exactly who she was.

"I took a man who was in a very senior position for a tour of the grounds in my spare wheelchair so that he could see for himself how badly the paths were for wheelchair users. So I definitely had quite an audible presence during my stay, so they definitely know who I am," she said.

Until the first lockdown, John Mitchell visited the gym every week day after suffering a stroke several years ago.

Impressed with the care he received, he tried to join earlier this year. But his annual $30 membership fee was returned, because the trust was too busy dealing with Covid.

His wife Jan is at a loss to explain why their latest applications weren't accepted, saying she was surprised and disappointed by the rejection.

"I'm completely at a loss to know why, we are not suitable people to belong to an organisation like this, when my husband is a user of the services," she said.

RNZ has seen Jan's application and cannot see any reason why it would be rejected.

Advocate Jane Carrigan said it was clear they did not want new members.

"We would be asking the questions that that board don't want to answer. They are doing everything to obstruct signing people up," she said.

In a statement, the board secretary said it only approved applications that were in the best interests of the trust. The secretary said many questionnaires were not completed and invitations to meet with the board were ignored. Although it did give less than a week's notice.

It said the closure of the Greenlane site was not the end of the service and it would look for new possibilities to enrich the lives of disabled people.