The Daily Yarn
WEDNESDAY, 27 MAY 2026 · National Edition · Aotearoa's Most Reliable Unreliable News
Council Chaos

STOKE LIBRARY AMNESTY QUIETLY ERASES MAYOR'S $187 DVD TAB

Two copies of Shrek 2 among the wiped items. The librarian is not happy.

A fine amnesty at the Stoke Library has wiped $187 in DVD fines belonging to Nelson's mayor. The cleared items include two copies of Shrek 2, a Westlife concert disc, and something listed only as "Pilates: Reformed".

The amnesty ran for ten days in October. It was promoted as a clean slate for families who'd fallen behind. Nelson City Council confirmed all accounts were reset, "without exception".

Librarian Pip Harwood has worked the Stoke desk for nine years. She told The Daily Yarn she nearly choked on her flat white when the system pinged. "I saw the name on the wiped list and I went, oh no. Then I went and got another coffee."

The mayor said he'd "genuinely forgotten" he still had the DVDs. One of the Shrek 2s was "probably the kids'". Pressed on why he had two, he said the second one was "a spare". A spare for what was not clarified.

A council spokesperson said the amnesty had been "a tremendous success". They declined to say whether the mayor's DVDs were among the 400 returned items. Pip confirmed they were not. "Still out. Eleven months on Westlife. Piss-take, frankly."

The next amnesty is scheduled for March. Pip has requested a list of exclusions.
Report / Takedown
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