Others are doing the HCC site which is much better for finding things.
Yes, I found the minutes on your link and they have some of the information we need. However votes are only recorded of a councilor requests a division which they seem to avoid whenever possible. Otherwise it is just X moved and Y seconded [Motion] Carried (ID). There are notes of discussions that sometimes mention issues and occasionally the councilors who raise them, but not very often.
So some automated analysis would certainly be welcome. But it won't be easy. How do you search in a way that finds all the things they didn't do - the opportunities missed - the transport report that considers roads in great detail but rail is never mentioned as part of the development of a sustainable transport network. Or that they received a report on the significance of the great advances in electric vehicles and just received the report.They didn't decide to do anything to promote them in any way. Still anything that at least finds a good proportion would be very welcome.
Also I found that there were no links to minutes before 2016. I spoke to staff member Mali Ahipene who told me
"the webpage was recently updated to include only those agendas and minutes for 2016.�� However, we are about to reinstate the webpage with all of the agenda���s for the current triennium. Check back in an hour, and the information should be available. If you still have questions, feel free to give me a call."
When I checked at 5 o'clock and again at 9 o'clock and again this morning I found that the uppdate had not happened - or not succeeded:
Although the website indicates that records of the minutes are available
from 28 November-2013 I can't find links to any before Tuesday 2
February 2016. I can't yet find any links for these before 2016 except for
resource hearings going back to November 2015, and Significant consent
applications, hearings and decisions.
Links to results for a
search on "minutes 2013" give pages with 2016 minutes only for the first
4 pages of results. The 5th page and later results give 2016 links or
an Incorrect Link message.
I would also like tips for gathering relevant information from public sources on websites, social media and anywhere.
Rod