MEDIA RELEASE
FROM: Paraparaumu Airport Coalition

Airport Coalition Demands Democracy at Airport Forum

The Paraparaumu Airport Coalition is warning the Mayor of Kapiti that public anger is rising fast over his planned arrangements for the Airport Forum on Sunday.

Mayor Alan Milne, who has planned the Forum without consulting all his councillors, has announced that he will chair the meeting himself and that only two questions will be allowed by panel members.

The Coalition says it is outraged by the lack of democracy envisaged for a meeting which will be paid for by Kapiti ratepayers.

Airport Coalition convenor Councillor Alan Tristram says: “The public must be able to immediately ask any questions they want to.

“This is a public meeting, called by the KCDC, and presumably paid for by the ratepayers,” Cr Tristram says.

“The Mayor seems to be trying to completely control the outcome of the meeting. The members of the Airport Coalition are getting very, very angry and some are so upset they are threatening to boycott the Forum,” he says.

Cr Tristram says that if the Mayor doesn’t start consulting and acting democratically his group may have to seek legal advice and consider a legal injunction.

According to an email from the Mayor’s secretary today: “The Mayor will be asking each speaker questions about their presentations.

“The Mayor has requested if you (a speaker) have two specific questions you would like to ask, it would be appreciated if you could advise so that the Mayor can work them into the session.”

Cr Tristram says the Airport Coalition hasn’t been consulted in any way about the format of the meeting, but, going on past experience, the developers have been kept fully appraised of the situation.

“It’s totally outrageous. But we won’t be deterred,” he says.

ENDS

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