Eyes pop at official on a bike

An Atawhai resident watched in disbelief as a Nelson City Council staff member left her home on a bicycle after carrying out a resource consent inspection.

"I stood there with my mouth open like an ape," Nanette Thompson said.

The senior council planner inspected Mrs Thompson's Boulder Bank Drive property at 4pm on May 27 after receiving a resource consent application for a swimming pool, carport and change sheds to be constructed on site.

Mrs Thompson said a previous building consent to erect a tennis pavilion on their property incurred an inspection fee of $857.25 excluding GST, so she was surprised to find staff weren't choosing the most efficient means of travel.

"I told the people that were out here landscaping and they thought I was having them on.

"It would have taken a while to get out here."

It takes Mrs Thompson's daughter 12 minutes riding "flat out on a racing bike" to get from their home to the rowing club. That would be a similar distance and it was unlikely the council staff member had cycled that fast, she said.

Mrs Thompson is awaiting the bill before raising her concerns with the council.

After investigating the incident on Monday, council planning and consents divisional manager Richard Johnson said a staff member was being "a bit enthusiastic about reducing his carbon footprint".

Travel time wasn't a big component of site inspection fees and the applicant's bill would be checked to ensure they didn't foot any financial penalty, he said.

"Certainly it's a reminder to be talking to staff about the proper use of council vehicles," Mr Johnson said.

He said the council faced "ACC issues" when staff members used their own transportation for work. The council has two fleet bicycles and encourages sustainable practices where possible but these had to be balanced with efficiency and cycling to out-of-town jobs wasn't appropriate, Mr Johnson said.

The staff member, who missed afternoon tea to fit in his cycle ride, would be "dealt with internally", he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News