Horowhenua District Council has a media policy that refuses to recognise media questions unless they are from, "a news media organisation registered by the New Zealand Companies Office."

"Any further enquiries that are not for a news media organisation registered by the New Zealand Companies Office will be treated as Official Information Requests," said council's communications advisor Trish Hayward. The council also wants to know what news organisations the information is being provided to and what the deadline is.

Dr Gavin Ellis, author of 'Complacent Nation', a book that explores the erosion of New Zealanders' right to know said, "Nothing in the Act gives council the right to withhold information on the grounds that a publication and deadline are not given by the information seeker.

"I believe that, if the council refuses to supply information to a freelancer for that reason, there are good grounds for a complaint to the Ombudsman. It is useful for council officers to know the deadline to which a journalist is working but that is in order to expedite the flow of information, not to stem it," Dr Ellis said.

The council's media policy was revealed to a freelance journalist for the first time after questions were asked about how council was fulfilling its legislative requirement to consult on a very important 20 year 2018-2038 Long Term Plan (LTP); the first 20 year LTP. Previous media questions from the freelance journalist had been answered by the council.

Council has signalled an intention to rate the small communities of Waitarere, Hokio, Ohau, Manakau and Waikawa $106 million for new water and waste water systems.

There will only be three days before submissions on the draft 2018-2038 LTP close on 26 March if the council wait 21 days to answer the questions .

Council has been asked:
(1) why public consultations are being held at the Levin Aquatic Centre instead of Te Takere that is regarded as the centre of the community?
(2) Whether council has more responsibility to ensure ratepayers are fully informed considering an intention to raise $106 million for new water and waste water infrastructure in “new growth” areas?
(3) why it is acceptable land and property developers haven't contributed one cent to essential infrastructure in "growth areas" yet ratepayers are expected to pay for it?
(4) How much the infrastructure rate equates to in dollar terms for each affected area?
(5) Given the complexity of the draft 20 year LTP whether public consultations should include more than four relatively obscure public meetings?
(6) What has council been doing to consult residents that need assistance to understand the draft LTP implications
(7) Why has the council called the 20 year LTP, "Consultation in preparation of 2018-2038 Long Term Plan" instead of a draft document?
(8) Why has the council decided to hold so few consultations and none at Te Takere? What was the rationale behind that decision?
(9) Why doesn’t council doesn’t visit marae, associations and groups around the district and tell them how they will be directly affected?
(10) Wouldn't travelling to Marae be an effective way to consult with Maori ratepayers?
(11) Why is a public meeting on the Otaki to Levin North expressway considered important enough to be held at Te Takere but not the district's LTP?
(12) Why only one month for consultation on a complex and lengthy document?
(13) Why council running so many consultations simultaneous taking into consideration residents have busy lives and, unlike the council staff, are already juggling many responsibilities and obligations?
(14) Does the council think the consultation process on a number of important documents simultaneously would meet the standards of the Office of the Auditor General if a governance complaint was made?
(15) The draft LTP states "Look out for upcoming consultations that are outside the consultation on the LTP. The outcomes from these may result in future changes to the LTP." Shouldn't the LTP be informing the other consultations not the other way around?

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