Kia Ora

 

My apologies for not acknowledging your request.  I confirm that we have
received your request and a response will be provided within 20 Working
Days (24 March 2026 – noting that 23 March 2026 is Otago Anniversary Day
and is not deemed a working day).

 

 

 

Kā mihi

 

 

LGOIMA Officer
Governance Group           

P  03 477 4000  |   

Te Kaunihera a Rohe o Ōtepoti - Dunedin City Council

PO Box 5045, Dunedin 9054

New Zealand

[1]www.dunedin.govt.nz

 

 

 

[2]DCC Main Page

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From: john luke <[FOI #33807 email]>
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2026 12:18 AM
To: Official Information <[Dunedin City Council request email]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Dunedin councillor Benedict
Ong faces Civic Centre limits over staff concerns

 

Dear Dunedin City Council,

Please kindly confirm you have received my request for information.

Yours faithfully,

john luke

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Kia Ora

 

I refer to my e-mail below and advise that the Treasury Risk Management
Policy is available on the Council Website via the following link:

 

[1]https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/__data/asset...

 

 

Jennifer Lapham

LGOIMA Officer
Governance Group           

P  03 477 4000  |   E [2][email address] 

Te Kaunihera a Rohe o Ōtepoti - Dunedin City Council

PO Box 5045, Dunedin 9054

New Zealand

[3]www.dunedin.govt.nz

 

 

 

 

Kia ora

 

I refer to your request of 23 February 2026 requesting the following
information

 

 1. I would like to request the same documents you have provided to
Herald.
2. I would like to request to view the letter mentioned within the
news.
3. I would like to request to view the email he sent this month about
a staff member.
4. I would also like to request to view the "“Internal Debt & Treasury
Working Material” mentioned within the news, which I believed Cr Ong
has also requested. "He said he would now seek the material under the
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act."

 

Please find  below the information sent to the Hearld’s local reporter on
17 February 2026.  

 

In regards to question 2, I refer you to the e-mails below.

 

In response to questions 3  A copy of the e-mail Cr Ong sent to the CEO,
regarding a staff member is declined pursuant to section 7(2)(a) of LGOIMA
to protect the privacy of natural persons.

 

I am following up on Question 4 and will respond to this separately.

 

As we have declined to provide some information you are advised that you
have the right to seek a review by the Office of the Ombudsman.

 

 

Kā mihi

 

 

Jennifer Lapham

LGOIMA Officer
Governance Group           

P  03 477 4000  |   E [4][email address] 

Te Kaunihera a Rohe o Ōtepoti - Dunedin City Council

PO Box 5045, Dunedin 9054

New Zealand

[5]www.dunedin.govt.nz

 

 

DCC response to NZH

Kia ora Ben,

 

The Chief Executive rejects any suggestion of retaliation – that’s just
not correct.

 

You can attribute the following to Chief Executive Sandy Graham:

 

The claims made by Councillor Ong are not correct. The Councillor’s access
to the Civic Centre has temporarily changed while the Chief Executive
undertakes a health and safety assessment following concerns which have
been raised.

 

The Code of Conduct includes a requirement for Councillors to observe any
protocols put in place by the Chief Executive, but the Chief Executive
also has additional legal obligations to ensure workplace health and
safety.

 

Councillors received clear guidance on issues of health and safety, and
their own roles and responsibilities, as part of a comprehensive induction
at the start of the triennium. Councillors were also provided with an
update earlier this month on access to staff areas.

 

The measures now in place for Councillor Ong are temporary while the
assessment is carried out, and until such time as the separate but
parallel Code of Conduct investigation is complete.

 

I’m not in a position to release the preliminary assessment of the Code of
Conduct matter, but the process being followed is detailed in Appendix B
of the Code of Conduct. One the final report of the independent
investigator is received, it will be considered by Council.

 

The timeframe is yet to be confirmed but it will not be in February.

 

In addition, please find below and attached copies of the full
correspondence between the Chief Executive and Councillor Ong. I’ve also
copied below an earlier email from the CEO to Councillor Ong in relation
to his Notices of Motion, which may also be relevant.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

 

Chris Morris

SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR
COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING               

P  03 477 4000  |  DD  03 474 3110  |  E [6][email address] 

Dunedin City Council, 50 The Octagon, Dunedin

PO Box 5045, Dunedin 9054

New Zealand

[7]www.dunedin.govt.nz

 

 

[8]DCC Main Page

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From: Sandy Graham
Sent: Monday, 16 February 2026 5:13 p.m.
To: Benedict Ong <[9][email address]>
Cc: Sophie Barker <[10][email address]>
Subject: Building access

 

Good afternoon Cr Ong

 

I am writing to advise that I have temporarily changed your access
arrangements to the Civic Centre until I have been able to conduct a
health and safety assessment. The reason for this is two-fold. A concern
has been raised with me about instances of you floor walking/accosting
staff in staff areas where Councillors had specifically been advised this
was not appropriate. Further, I am now in receipt of the preliminary
assessment from the investigator into the conduct concerns I raised with
her. Her preliminary findings are such that I need to put temporary
measures in place to ensure a safe work space for staff.

 

You are still able to access the Councillor Lounge and the ground floor of
the Civic Centre. However, access to any other levels of the Civic Centre
is by appointment. When you have an appointment with staff and/or
Councillors, we will meet you in the Customer Services Agency and escort
you to you meeting. We will also escort you from the staff areas when your
meetings have concluded.

 

The measures will remain in place until the health and safety assessment
has been completed. Once the assessment has been completed, the
arrangements will be reviewed in line with that assessment.

 

I note that I am still waiting for you to confirm a time to meet with me.
I am happy to discuss these matters further with you at that meeting. I
note that a General Manager will also attend, and that you are welcome to
bring someone to the meeting. In the interests of transparency, the
meeting will likely be recorded.

 

I have copied Mayor Sophie so she is aware of the steps I have taken and

 

Regards

 

 

Sandy Graham
Chief Executive Officer/Tumu Whakarae
P  03 477 4000  |  E [11][email address] 

Dunedin City Council, 50 The Octagon, Dunedin

PO Box 5045, Dunedin 9054

New Zealand

[12]www.dunedin.govt.nz

 

 

From: Sandy Graham <[13][email address]>
Date: 4 February 2026 at 5:34:00 pm GMT+13
To: Benedict Ong <[14][email address]>,
Cc >, "Council 2025-2028 (Elected Members)"
<[15][email address]>
Subject: RE: Cr Ong - Notice of Motions



Good evening Councillor Ben

 

Further to our discussions today, I am writing in response to the 2
Notices of Motion (NoMs) that you have submitted. Both of the NoM are 10
year plan matters and need to be considered as part of the ten year plan
process at the 10 year plan meetings. The timetable for the 10 year plan
has not yet been finalised, but once it is, I will work with you to ensure
the NoM are in a proper form to be considered at the correct meeting. This
will be after April 2026 but before December 2026.

 

I will deal with a couple of specific points in relation to each
NoM below.

 

NoM 1 - related to visitor charging for entry to cultural institutions.

Your NoM requests a special consultative process (SCP). The 10 year plan
is an SCP which would be the vehicle to use to consult with the community
on this matter, if your NoM is supported by Council.

 

NoM 2 - Innovative debt financing.

This NoM cuts across a range of existing arrangements that are all
considered or being prepared for the 10 year plan. Specifically there is
the Treasury Management Policy and the Financial Strategy. Again, the 10
year plan requires that these are consulted on as part of the 10 year plan
process.

 

Importantly, as part of the Council direction to DCHL, work is well
underway on an Investment Plan for the DCC which will deal with many of
the matters you cover in the NoM. The Directors will be presenting the
Draft Investment Plan to Council in Feb/March and I would encourage you to
ask many of these questions of the directors.

 

My office is setting up a time for us to meet. At that meeting, I am happy
to explain the 10 year plan timetable and process in more detail and to
work with you on the wording of the NoM to ensure they can be fed into the
10 year plan, subject to support from the Council.

 

I hope you are able to take a break from serving our community and enjoy
the lovely evening.

 

Warm regards

CE Sandy

 

 

 

 

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

 

From: john luke <[16][FOI #33807 email]>
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2026 12:42 AM
To: Official Information <[17][Dunedin City Council request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Dunedin councillor Benedict Ong
faces Civic Centre limits over staff concerns

 

Dear Dunedin City Council,

I noted,
[18]https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/dunedin-co...
[19]https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/dcc/o...

"Correspondence provided to the Herald shows chief executive Sandy Graham
wrote to Ong on Monday advising she had “temporarily changed your access
arrangements to the Civic Centre until I have been able to conduct a
health and safety assessment”."

""Mayor Sophie Barker presented him with a letter. Cr Ong accepted the
letter, placed it back on the table, took a photo, and was then asked to
leave."

"His conduct is also being investigated by a barrister after an email he
sent this month about a staff member."

"He confirmed he had requested “Internal Debt & Treasury Working Material”
in order to “share my expertise to council executives and staff to
innovatively structure our council entities’ debt to freeze future rate
rises.”"

1. I would like to request the same documents you have provided to Herald.
2. I would like to request to view the letter mentioned within the news.
3. I would like to request to view the email he sent this month about a
staff member.
4. I would also like to request to view the "“Internal Debt & Treasury
Working Material” mentioned within the news, which I believed Cr Ong has
also requested. "He said he would now seek the material under the Local
Government Official Information and Meetings Act."

Yours faithfully,

john luke

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