A Christchurch City Council senior manager has interrupted a public meeting to voice her displeasure over criticism from councillors aimed at staff.

In one example, Councillor Kelly Barber called out staff for an earlier decision to paint yellow lines outside a local shop, (when he was part of a a community board) without staff not consulting the shop owner.

The council, he said, was forced to then backtrack after consulting after the fact.

Christchurch City Council General Manager of Citizens and Community Mary Richardson interrupted the council meeting and said “I do respect councillors’ right to debate processes and systems around the council table – that’s what you’re here for.

“I think it is most unfortunate when you criticise staff in the public forum when they do not have a right of reply and which is what you’ve done today.

“When you move off the process and the system and started up bringing criticisms of projects and things staff had done, I think that was most unfortunate where staff do not have the right to defend themselves or reply to those examples” Richardson said.”

Her comment received applause from some of the councillors.