Bridge Hill tree preservation activist Ken Churchill wondered why he wasn’t getting regular Facebook updates and other important information from Central Otago District Council (CODC).

Then he found out he had been blocked from the CODC Facebook page. 

“I’m blocked from their Facebook page, so that stops any notifications that I might see about bins or road closures or anything like that.” 

Ken relies on CODC Facebook and the Central App to see what’s happening around the district.

Ken says he’s had no formal notification about the block or its reasons. He was left dumbfounded until he said he bumped into a CODC staff member in town. 

“I found out more accidentally, I ran into a staff member, and they confirmed it; they said that I was spreading misinformation and I was discourteous to some of the people.” 

CODC voted to have the pine trees on The Half Mile Reserve cut down as part of its wilding pine policy. 

Ken is an outspoken supporter of the retention of the trees.

Some of the trees Ken Churchill thinks may have got him banned from CODC social media

He speculated that the block is possibly because he refers to CODC mayor Tim Cadogan as “two-vote Tim”. 

During a March council meeting, the mayor used his mayoral casting discretionary vote on the final decision to remove the pine trees. 

Regarding the accusation of misinformation, Ken can only think of one instance: “I referenced the planting of the trees somewhere that the council had opposed when they hadn’t.” 

Ken admits to “hammering them [CODC] on Facebook. I’ve got no apologies for that.” 

“Yeah, I think they’re highly F***** O** with me.”

He’s written to the Privacy Commission to seek the information that triggered his blocking from CODC Facebook. 

Ken is asking for all text, emails, and any electronic Information that CODC might hold concerning his blocking. CODC has acknowledged the receipt of his request for the relevant information.

CODC has yet to respond to the Central App’s requests to either confirm Mr Churchill’s ban from accessing council Facebook or the nature of his breaches of CODC’s social media communications policy.

PHOTOS: The Central App