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Dear Mr Harris

I apologise that you have not received a reply to your request.  I have
searched our service request system and cannot find any record of
receiving a request.

In answer to your question, Yes, Council does open its meetings with a
prayer.

Kind regards

 

Sandra Birdling

Executive Manager to the Mayor and Chief Executive

Nelson City Council

te kaunihera ō whakatū

PO Box 645 Nelson 7040 New Zealand

03 546 0242

[2]www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz

Please consider the environment before printing this email

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Alex Harris [[3]mailto:[OIA #115 email]]

Sent: Sunday, 6 May 2012 10:35 p.m.

To: Council Enquiries (Enquiry)

Subject: Re: Official Information Act request - Does the Nelson City
Council open its meetings with a prayer?

 

     Dear Nelson City Council,

    

     This LGOIMA request was due on 30 April and is now late. Will I be

     getting a response soon?

    

     Yours faithfully,

    

     Alex Harris

    

     

     

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     [4][OIA #115 email]

    

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     [5]http://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

    

     If you find this service useful as an OIA officer, please ask your

     web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

    

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Good afternoon Alex,

Thank you for your recent enquiry and sorry for the delay in getting back
to you.

We had never received an enquiry via the fyi.org.nz site before but please
see the reply below.

At the Council Meeting on 16 May 1935, at the request of the then Bishop
of Nelson, the following prayer was submitted and subsequently approved to
be used at the commencement of Nelson City Council meetings

 

Almighty and eternal God, Who art the fountain of all wisdom and the giver
of every perfect gift, look down in blessing on this city, and grant to us
such a measure of Thy divine wisdom that we might have a right judgement
in all things. So guide our deliberations, we beseech Thee, that all our
undertakings may promote the welfare of our people and set forth the glory
of Thy Holy Name

 

Somewhere in the mists of time it was changed and (to my certain
knowledge) the following prayer has been used for at least the last 30
years

 

Almighty God sovereign in all things

Bless this City and its people

Guide us in Local government each day

That our decisions may be wise and just

And magnify thy Holy Name

Amen

 

Since the Human Rights Act 1993 and Bill of Rights Act 1990 have come in
force, the Council has never debated or considered the prayer's
compatibility with both or either of those Acts. Nor has the Council
considered abolishing having a prayer at the commencement of Council
meetings in the wake of the Whanganui decision.

Yours sincerely,

 

Andrew Johnston

Receptionist/Administration Assistant

 

 

Get it done online at [1]www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz 
[2]pay your invoice [3]have your say [4]view scenic Nelson webcam
[5]reserve a library item [6]look for maps [7]subscribe to a rss feed
[8]Find us on Facebook

You are prohibited from distributing this E-mail without permission. If
you have received this E-mail by mistake or are not the intended
recipient, please notify the sender and erase the message immediately. 
This E-mail message and any accompanying data is confidential and may be
legally privileged. The Nelson City Council does not warrant or guarantee
that this communication is free of errors, virus or interference.

This e-mail has been scanned and cleared by MailMarshal.

References

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