Benedict OngA Dunedin city councillor says he is not a safety risk and an increased presence of security guards ‘‘stationed specifically’’ for him is a waste of resources. Cr Benedict Ong’s comments come as the council appears to have increased security since the start of the year, with two security guards regularly at meetings compared with one previously. In a social media post on Wednesday, Cr Ong said the security guards were stationed at meetings for the express purpose of removing or barring him. Ms Barker said security had been at council meetings for a ‘‘number of years and is quite normal’’. Cr Ong disagreed these were required and later posted on social media a video of himself with duct tape over his mouth walking through the Civic Centre.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 07, 2026 08:50 UTC