PHOTOS: ODT FILESAccusations of power-grabs, worries about pay and criticism of "frankly ridiculous" workloads were levelled at Dunedin’s mayor over her shake-up of councillor roles, emails reveal. Asked by the ODT if the correspondence showed the governance shake-up was messier than necessary, Ms Barker disagreed. Emails show Cr Vandervis was not wholly satisfied with the resolution and would have preferred to chair the committee alone. Other emails captured by the ODT’s request included Cr Christine Garey’s question to the mayor about how Cr Vandervis’ new positions would "impact my salary". Ms Barker said, given the opportunity, she would not have been as rushed by the deadline set by the Remuneration Authority.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 22, 2026 16:24 UTC