Mixed signals from Gore's mayor

Today's Southland Times reports that mayor Tracy Hicks has made some good decisions over potential conflicts of interest in his new council and has signalled that some councillors who have close connections with the proposed lignite developments at Mataura, should not sit on committees involved in those issues.
Good thinking Tracy.
He says that the planning and regulatory committees in particular are not suitable places for such individuals to sit.
"Cr Watt is director of farmer cooperative Ravensdown, which is a joint venture partner with Solid Energy in its lignite to urea.." seems some good judgement there Tracy, however..."Cr Bolger is one of the few landowners in the Mataura lignite field who has not sold to Solid Energy." ... which is, I suppose, reasonable enough.
The mighty clanger for me though, comes where Cr Bret Highstead, about whom I've written before, has been elected to the chair of the planning and regulatory committee!
Cr Bret Highstead's 'family involvement in the coal industry' (they sold their coal mine at New Vale to Solid Energy!) seems not to be seen as a factor that might affect his performance on that 'sensitive' committee!

I must be missing something here.

Someone might like to clarify for me what it is Tracy is doing.