In the monthly news sheet "Town Hall", Bews-Hair said the decision of Goff to only allow councillors to see an unredacted version of the PwC report under the supervision of his staff "is an affront to the character and honesty of councillors, downright insulting".

The matter, Bews-Hair said, had become "messy, unnecessary and completely avoidable".

Having reflected on the earlier rules for viewing the report, councillors have been informed by email that copies of the unredacted version of the report are being made available "as a gesture of goodwill" on the condition the reports are not copied, kept in a secure location and returned after being read.

It is understood one of the reasons for redacting part of the reports relates to five potential sites in the city to protect the commercial position of the landowners.

Hulse said she had some sympathy with landowners who want to protect their land values.

"However, I think we should have a right to look at that report and be treated on an equal footing with the mayor. 

"That comes with responsibility, however, and we have had some pretty bad experiences with reports that are confidential ending up in the hands of the media within half an hour," said Hulse, who chairs the environment committee and is the former deputy mayor.

Hulse said she had not seen the report and is waiting for the process to die down to read an unredacted copy.

Watson told the Herald that Goff was assuming the role of elected representative and chief executive in limiting councillors easily accessing something of interest to the public.

"The mayor ... is just an elected representative.

"It is getting in the realm of ridiculous. It is become like a KGB spy flick.

"In the scheme of correct protocol, it should be dealt under the oversight of the chief executive not the mayor."

Despite an unredacted version of the report being offered to councillors, none were yet to read it because of the conditions being demanded, he said.

Councillors had outlined their concerns to Goff on numerous occasions but that had fallen on "deaf ears", he said.