Wellington councillors' retreat costing thousands

Ratepayers will pay $16,000 for Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast to bond with her 14 newly elected councillors at a fancy Martinborough country retreat.

The 15 elected members will be joined by up to nine senior council officers, including chief executive Garry Poole, for their Monday night stay at the Brackenridge Country Retreat.

Most councillors will be paired off with a "bunk buddy" into settler-style cottages, which start at $200 a night.

Others will be put up in one-bedroom apartments, which start at $170.

Ms Prendergast said it would allow councillors time to plot the council's course for the next three years.

"It is an opportunity to see if we can't agree a shared vision ... to try and pull together a vision of the city going forward."

Ms Prendergast has organised a strategy meeting at the start of all three of her mayoralty terms. She calls them much more effective if held away from Wellington, a position formed after she held the 2004 meeting in Wellington.

"The attendance was poor although councillors said they would attend and save ratepayers' money.

They answered their cellphones, went to pre-arranged meetings, arrived late, left early, and they didn't turn up to the entire function."

The council's trip to the Wairarapa wine town has been tentatively endorsed by Federation of Wellington Progressive and Residents' Association spokesman Tom Law.

"If the outcome is that our city governors are going to work together throughout the next three years, without the personality clashes that they had during the last term, then that would be great.

"But that would need a commitment from councillors and the mayor for that to happen," he said.

The council refused to issue the agenda for the Martinborough stay but several guest speakers will address the councillors, including NZ Post chief executive John Allen.

The sojourn's estimated $16,000 bill includes accommodation, bus transport to and from Martinborough, food and alcohol, facility and equipment fees.

The Wairarapa visit is a continuation of the council's recent history on hospitality spending.

In the year to October 31, 2007, it spent $431,681 on food and drinks - or $1182 a day.

- © Fairfax NZ News