Mackenzie mayor Scott Aronsen under investigation following complaint

Detailed summary

An independent investigation has been launched into Mackenzie district mayor Scott Aronsen following allegations made against him.

An independent investigation has been launched into Mackenzie district mayor Scott Aronsen following allegations made against him.

A spokesperson from the Mackenzie District Council confirmed the allegations stemmed from an earlier complaint, but declined to say whether it was lodged by a staff member, councillor or member of the public.

They confirmed an investigation into the allegations was under way, with more information to come once the situation was reviewed.

"There is an independent external review under way to consider the allegations raised and we will not provide any further comment at this stage."

Aronsen told Local Democracy Reporting he had "no comment at this stage''.

He was elected as the new mayor of the district at the October 2025 local body elections and was the first mayor to be voted in from Twizel.

The investigation followed an earlier incident at the council chambers in May involving councillor Frank Hocken, where a $29,000 investigation revealed he had broken the council's code of conduct.

At the time, Hocken told LDR he was not surprised by the cost of the investigation, having estimated the investigation would cost "about $30k".

Hocken was subsequently ordered to apologise, which he refused, restricted to communicating only through the mayor or his deputy, received a letter of censure, and that the matter be lodged with the council's health and safety team.

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