Dunedin councillor's court battle over $12 parking fine ends

Dunedin councillor Lee Vandervis has lost his long-running court battle with the Dunedin City Council over a $12 parking ticket.

The mayoral candidate was issued the ticket in September 2019 after he paid for an hour of parking, but failed to notice a sign stating there was a 30-minute maximum parking period.

He then made a complaint to a Council employee at the Council Customer Services desk, during which he attempted to have the ticket cancelled.

It was followed by an email to the Council’s chief executive complaining about the employee involved in the incident.

An investigation of a complaint against Vandervis, made by the employee involved, found the councillor had breached the Council’s code of conduct on three grounds, including the requirement to treat employees with courtesy and respect; avoiding actions which may compromise, or be seen as compromising, the impartiality of an employee; and the requirement not to influence, or attempt to influence, any Council employee to benefit their own or their family’s personal or business interests.

After the findings were presented to the chief executive, the Council was presented with a code of conduct report from the Council's executive leadership team.

Following a review of the code of conduct report and a meeting with Vandervis, the Council made the decision to censure the councillor.

Vandervis then challenged the findings of the report through a judicial review and appeals in the High Court and Court of Appeal, which were unsuccessful.

Today, an application from Vandervis’ legal team requesting leave to appeal the Appeal Court decision on the finding he had attempted to influence a Council employee was denied by the Supreme Court.

In its decision, released today, the country’s highest court said it sees “no utility in granting leave on this point”.

“It is quintessentially factual and raises no point of public importance; nor do we consider there is any appearance of miscarriage of justice,” the judgement read.

Vandervis must now pay the council $2500 in costs.