The Osborne’s would like to thank the Kapiti community and those further afield for their support in the battle to save the Osborne’s iconic Waikanae hedge. The following statements and subsequent apology by the Mayor of Kapiti, K Guruthanan, brings to an end the Osborne’s legal proceedings to clear their name after comments made to the media by K Gurunathan during this time.
Our media statement:
Kapiti Mayor K Gurunathan has apologised to Raechel and Vince Osborne for comments he made in the media criticising them when they attempted to preserve Waikanae's iconic macrocarpa hedge.
The council demanded the Osborne's trim their hedge back in 2017. Unsuccessful attempts were made to resolve matters. Council then unilaterally pruned the hedge.
In a newspaper column and interviews with Radio New Zealand and Fairfax Media, the mayor suggested the Osbornes were selfish, hypocritical and unneighbourly, had engaged in "blackmail" to stop the council doing it's job, and had ignored council instructions since 2004 to trim the hedge back.
In a statement the mayor has published in this weeks Kapiti News, the mayor apologised for his comments. He made it clear that he was "not calling into question Mr and Mrs Osbornes' character in any way. In particular, he accepted that the Osbornes hadn't committed any criminal offence, were not selfish or hypocritical, and had not disobeyed council instructions in 2004.
A copy of the mayors statement is attached.
The apology brings to an end the defamation case the Osbornes brought against the mayor in 2017. The Osborne's very reluctantly issued proceedings in the High Court, seeking an apology, damages and costs after the mayor refused to apologise early on.
"We are delighted that the mayor has apologised," said Raechel Osborne. "The things he had said were hurtful and untrue. We feel very vindicated with this settlement."
The terms of the settlement require confidentiality. However, Mrs Osborne said, "We are very happy with the settlement."