Photo: ODT filesAn internal report on the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s procurement practices, and in particular the contracting of a former senior manager to undertake bylaw reviews, has found staff made mistakes but did not break the law. However, it showed there was a need to modernise guidelines for staff and tighten training, and expedite a review of the council’s procurement policy. ZQN.7 is owned by former senior council staff member - and newly appointed Queenstown Chamber of Commerce chief executive - Ruth Stokes and her husband. Some staff had ‘‘unintentionally misconstrued’’ the procurement process in relation to the $50,000 threshold. ‘‘As a first step on this path, the report into procurement practice has been publicly released.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 18, 2021 03:33 UTC