Dear Donna ,

LG - 2440 Handling of Code of Conduct complaints and associated governance processes.

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request, which we received on 17/03/2026

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, but no later than 16/04/2026, being 20 working days after the day your request was received. The response date shown takes into account:

Good Friday (3 April 2026)

Easter Monday (6 April 2026)

If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

Manawatu District Council publishes Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) requests and our response, on our website. To protect your privacy, we will generally not publish personal information about you, or information that identifies you. Requests and responses may be paraphrased.

Your request is being managed by the LGOIMA Response Team. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact the LGOIMA Response Team on 06 323 0000 or by replying to this email.

Yours sincerely,

LGOIMA Response Team
l Manawatu District Council l  Private Bag 10001 l  Feilding 4743 l
l P: 06 323 0000 l www.mdc.govt.nz l

"Our people delivering great service to our community."

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Dear Donna,

LG 2440 Official information request for Handling of Code of Conduct complaints and associated governance processes.

I refer to your official information request dated 17/03/2026

The Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act requires that we advise you of our decision on your request no later than 20 working days after the day we received your request. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to meet that time limit because we are waiting on information from relevant Council-Controlled Organisations (CCOs), and their input is needed to complete our response, the new respond date will be 24/04/2026.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel free to contact Manawatū District Council LGOIMA Team.

Yours sincerely
LGOIMA Response Team
l Manawatu District Council l  Private Bag 10001 l  Feilding 4743 l
l P: 06 323 0000 l www.mdc.govt.nz l

"Our people delivering great service to our community."

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Dear Donna,
 
LG 2440 - Handling of Code of Conduct complaints and associated governance
processes.
I refer to your official information request dated 17/03/2026.
The information you have requested is below.  Documents are provided in
this this link – [1]LG 2440 Documents
1. Complaint Handling Policies:
Please provide copies of all policies, procedures, or guidelines governing
the receipt, assessment, investigation, and resolution of Code of Conduct
complaints relating to:
-staff
-senior management
-council-controlled organisation officers
-governance officials.
Please find the relevant internal Policies and documents in the link
above.

* Code of Conduct
* Disciplinary Policy
* Harassment and Bullying in the Workplace Policy
* Protected Disclosures

Also included are the following Policies from CCOs:

* MCT Complaints Policy
* CEDA Disciplinary Process

2. Records Relating to the Complaints Submitted
Please provide copies of any records relating to the receipt, assessment,
consideration, or handling of the Code of Conduct complaints submitted on
or about 20 January 2026 to 12 March 2026.  This request includes (but is
not limited to):
-internal memoranda
-file notes
-reports
-assessment documents
-correspondence between staff involved in handling the complaints.
We can confirm that there have been no code of conduct complaints relating
to any of the Council Controlled Organisations during to the period 20
January and 12 March 2026.
There has been no internal code of conduct complaints during to the period
20 January and 12 March 2026.
We received one code of conduct complaint for MW LASS Debt Central. The
complaint was forwarded to MW LASS as the employer of the person whom the
complaint was directed at.
The documents associated with this have been withheld under section
17(2)(a) to protect the privacy of individuals. 
3. Internal Communications
Please provide copies of internal communications (including emails,
memoranda, and correspondence) relating to the complaints and their
handling.
This request includes communications between:
-staff and management
-governance or corporate services staff
-legal advisers
-officers responsible for complaint handling.
The internal email communication relating to the complaint received about
MW LASS Debt Central has been withheld under section 17(2)(a) to protect
the privacy of individuals. 
4. Communications Between Organisations
Manawatū-Whanganui Local Authority Shared Services (MWLASS) and Manawatu
district council and/or any shareholder councils concerning the complaints
and their handling.
The external email communication relating to the complaint received about
MW LASS Debt Central has been withheld under section 17(2)(a) to protect
the privacy of individuals. 
5. Governance Reporting
Please provide copies of any reports, briefings, or correspondence
provided to councillors, council governance committees, or shareholder
representatives regarding the complaints. (LGOIMA requests will be sent to
the shareholder councils)
No reports or briefings have been provided to councillors etc as the
complaint was forwarded to MWLASS as the employer.
6. Complaint Handling Outcomes
Please provide any records identifying the outcome of the complaints,
including any decisions made regarding investigation, dismissal, or
further action.
We are not aware of an outcome of the complaint regarding MW LASS Debt
Central.
 
Manawatū District Council may publish this response along with a summary
of the request on our website.   Requests and responses may be
paraphrased. 
To protect your privacy, we will not generally publish personal
information about you, or information that identifies you.  
 
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
the LGOIMA Response Team on 06 323 0000 or by replying to this email. 
 
Yours sincerely,
 

LGOIMA Response Team
 

P: 06 323 0000
[2]www.mdc.govt.nz

 

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