DVML in disarray

● DVML chief executive Darren Burden leaves 24 December, takes up rival role in Christchurch.
● Former DVML commercial manager Guy Hedderwick now part-time contractor, works from Adelaide.

### ODT Online Sat, 30 Nov 2013
Stadium defections, bookings prompt review
By Chris Morris
The board overseeing Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium has launched a management review amid high-profile defections and concerns the entertainment cupboard for this summer is ”a little bit bare”. Dunedin Venues Management Ltd board chairman Sir John Hansen, speaking to the Otago Daily Times, had a blunt message for music fans hoping for a stadium-filling concert this summer.
Read more

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Related Posts and Comments: (updated 28.2.14)
26.2.14 Stadium costs, read uncapped multimillion-dollar LOSSES
11.2.14 Stadium: ‘Business case for DVML temporary seating purchase’
24.1.14 Stadium: It came to pass . . .
20.12.13 DVML: No harassment policy or complaints procedure, really?
3.12.13 DVML issues and rankles [Burden’s reply]
30.11.13 DVML in disarray
18.11.13 DVML: Burden heads to Christchurch #EntirelyPredictable
1.11.13 Council appointments (rumbles) [see comment]
12.10.13 DVML works media/DCC to spend more ratepayer money
4.10.13 DVML . . . | ‘Make the stadium work’ losses continue
20.8.13 DVML foists invoices on DCC
20.6.13 Stadium: DVML, DVL miserable losers! #grandtheftdebt
8.6.13 Stadium: Insurmountable debt but gosh, look at our numbers!
25.2.13 Darren Burden’s ratepayer subsidy bubble and other Fubar myths
29.1.13 Pecuniary interest: Crs Wilson and Thomson in events fund debate
30.12.12 To DVML Board, from Ian Tayor [sic]
11.12.12 Stadium: DCC runs amok with $750K annual subsidy to DVML
2.11.12 Stadium financials: Calvin Oaten on DVML, DVL and DCHL
2.11.12 Stadium financials: JimmyJones v Peter Hutchison (DVML) on accounting method
25.10.12 Council bid lacks cost/benefit analysis: Fifa under-20 World Cup 2015
19.10.12 LGOIMA request: Breakdown of DVML recruitment costs [emails]
19.10.12 Weak boys, Cull and Burden on rugby stadium
11.10.12 Darren Burden plays LGOIMA game like Davies #DVML #PsychoAnswer
22.8.12 DVML: North vs South game profit/loss [email]
26.7.12 Cull’s council thinks $750,000 per annum to DVML represents good value?
29.6.12 DCC recruitment process: DVML chief executive position
22.6.12 DVML chief executive recruitment
9.5.12 DVML report: $1.9 million loss
30.3.12 DCC refuses to release DVML six-monthly report until “most suitable time and forum” is found
14.12.11 Davies “in the middle of a conversation” – how to fudge DVML, DCC, ORFU and Highlanders
2.12.11 DVML gets into bed with ORFU
14.11.11 DVML, Guy, wth ?
28.10.11 DVML, DVL and DCHL annual reports
18.2.11 Audit New Zealand requires DCC to write to DVML

OLD NEWS

### stuff.co.nz Last updated 05:00 03/06/2012
Dunedin’s House of Blame
By Steve Kilgallon
The prospect of yet more glittering new stadiums being constructed by ambitious city fathers – as being debated right now in Christchurch and Auckland – is met with scorn by some in Dunedin, where the saga of the Forsyth Barr Stadium has left a city divided and its ratepayers facing vast debts.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Sao Paulo: Arena Corinthians (Itaquerão) crane collapse

Arena Corinthians – Itaquerão Costing $360 million, the Sao Paulo stadium will seat nearly 70,000 people. The crane collapse may have been caused by unstable soil after a rain storm. [Image: @FutebolnoPonto]

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### 3News Thursday 28 Nov 2013 5:41a.m.
Two dead in World Cup stadium collapse
By Tales Azzoni and Stan Lehman
Part of the stadium that will host the 2014 World Cup opener collapsed Wednesday, killing two workers and aggravating already urgent concerns Brazil won’t be ready for soccer’s signature tournament.
The accident at the Arena Corinthians, known locally as the Itaquerao, could hardly have come at a worse time – just a week ahead of the draw that will determine the tournament’s schedule and with the top names in soccer all descending on Brazil.
The stadium was nearly finished before the collapse, which occurred when a construction crane crashed into a 500-ton metal structure. That structure then cut through the outer walls of the venue, destroying part of the outside of the building and rows of seats and slamming into a giant LED panel that runs across the stadium’s facade. AP
Read more + Video

[Images: businessinsider.com.au]

[updated] ### 3News Thursday 28 Nov 2013 8:47p.m.
Deadly crash puts light on Brazils WCup troubles
With one thunderous crash, Brazil’s troubled preparations for the World Cup are thrown in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, just as soccer gears up for the high-profile setting of the schedule for next year’s big event.
The newspaper Estado de S. Paulo said public prosecutors had previously pointed to 50 irregularities at the venue, including some related to emergency drills. AP
Read more

****

### 3News Thursday 28 Nov 2013 10:34a.m.
Past problems at Brazil World Cup, Olympic Stadiums
A look at problems suffered by some of the stadiums being built or renovated for the 2014 Football World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

NHNZ development mode (new business, markets)

“It’s like the next version of NHNZ. It’s like NHNZ version 3.1 in a lot of ways, version one being when we were part of TVNZ, version two being when [former managing director] Michael Stedman took over and gave us a new lease of life, and this is another step.” –Kyle Murdoch, NHNZ

### ODT Online Wed, 27 Nov 2013
Children’s TV for NHNZ
By Vaughan Elder
Dunedin’s NHNZ is preparing to take on the likes of Disney with the launch of its own international children’s television channel. NHNZ managing director Kyle Murdoch said, in preparation for the launch of the channel next February, 54 staff were hard at work in Dunedin producing content for it. About 40 were new staff who had joined the office since the middle of this year.
Read more

● Michael Stedman, former managing director, retired at the beginning of this year.

Natural History New Zealand website [screenshot detail]

Wikipedia: NHNZ

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Russell Garbutt: DCC, stadium failings

Comment received.

—

Russell Garbutt
Submitted on November 26, 2013 at 9:31 am

I submitted this to the ODT as an Opinion Piece following their editorial, but I have been told that it has not been selected for publication. Up to you to judge why.

“The ODT Editorial of Friday, 22nd November, 2013 headed “Stadium’s hard act to follow” is another stage in what has turned out to be a sorry chapter in Dunedin’s history.

Many residents of Dunedin were dismayed and astonished that the decision to build the new rugby stadium proceeded despite wide-spread protests and well-researched submissions detailing the experiences of other city’s decisions to build stadia which invariably had led to construction cost blow-outs, below budgeted incomes and over budgeted expenditures. As it turns out, these submitters have been proved right time and time again. What is patently obvious to all of those that have read the various reports into this project including the Larsen Report and the PWC report, the project was predicated upon counting future income as private construction costs, and assuming income levels and costs that would have resulted in an actual profit from Year one of operation.

The reality is a great deal different.

The DCC, and the ratepayers of the City, have been forced, through a complex set of financial arrangements, to provide substantial financial support by way of a payment of $7.25m per year to enable the debt to be paid off faster, a payment of $750,000 per year for “promotion of the stadium for community events”, a payment of $725,000 for other stadium debt round seats and pitch machinery, another annual $400,000 to subsidise or attract large events, and ongoing additional costs for financial advice and the like. All this on top of the huge costs for construction and the associated debt which is a very large component of the $12,000 debt owed by each and every ratepayer to the DCC.
Read more

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“On the eastern coast of New Zealand lies a world-first architectural icon – where 30,000 excited fans are drawn together to watch the action, be entertained, and celebrate. Welcome to Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza: New Zealand’s newest, largest and most versatile indoor events arena.”
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Facebook 22 July 2011 at 17:06

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC Annual Report 2012/2013

The annual report is now available at the DCC website and below.
It is provided by sections in .PDF format.

—

Standard & Poor’s
Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, provides independent financial information, analytical services, and credit ratings to the world’s financial markets. For more information go to Standard & Poor’s.

● S&P Full Analysis Dunedin City Council (PDF, 321 KB)

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Annual Report Documents
Annual Report 2012/13 Full version (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Organisational and Financial Management Report, Significant Activities Report and Council NZIFRS Financial Statements

Annual Report 2012/13 Section 1 (PDF, 399.4 KB)
Organisational and Financial Management Report

Annual Report 2012/13 Section 2 (PDF, 448.8 KB)
Significant Activities Report

Annual Report 2012/13 Section 3 (PDF, 361.1 KB)
Council NZIFRS & Financial Statements

Annual Report 2012/13 Appendix (PDF, 172.6 KB)
Community Outcome Monitoring, Supplementary Information

Annual Report 2012/13 Summary (PDF, 531.8 KB)
Dunedin City Council Annual Report Summary

—

OPEN MEETING ABOUT DCC FINANCES
When: Wednesday 27 November 5:30pm-7:00pm
Where: Meeting Room One, Municipal Chambers
ALL WELCOME – hosted by DCC Finance Committee

Related Posts:
23.11.13 DCC: Finance Committee [public forum] 27 November
17.11.13 DCC Finance Committee: Public meeting 27 November [INVITE]

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Architect: Zaha Hadid —Al Wakrah Stadium, Qatar

[zaha-hadid.com]

“The stadium will have a gross capacity of 40,000. The top-tiers of the stadium will be modular, allowing the stadium’s capacity to be lowered to 20,000.”

### zaha-hadid.com 18 November 2013
Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee unveils concept design for Al Wakrah Stadium

AL WAKRAH, QATAR: 16 November 2013 – The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee today unveiled the new concept design for Al Wakrah Stadium. AECOM, in association with Zaha Hadid Architects, have developed the new, innovative design under the guidance of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee. Al Wakrah – famous for its fishing and seafaring heritage – is the proposed southern-most Host City for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Read more + slideshow

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[thedailyshow.com]

“Designed by famed architect Zaha Hadid whose signature style appears to be making some of the world’s most f**kable buildings…like Georgia O’Keeffe of things you can walk inside…I guess maybe it is time things evened out a bit.” –Jon Stewart

Unnecessary Muffness Originally aired at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 19 Nov 2013). Qatar erects one of the world’s most f**kable soccer stadiums in preparation for the 2022 World Cup, but Al Madrigal can’t even find the press box. (04:56)

█ Video: http://www.cc.com/video-clips/q9k5o3/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-unnecessary-muffness

Comments at Archinect blog:
Unnecessary Muffness; Jon Stewart discusses Zaha’s “f**kable buildings”

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: Finance Committee [public forum] 27 November

Updated post 26.11.13
DCC Annual Report 2012/2013

—

Join Finance Committee Chair Cr Richard Thomson, Deputy Chair Cr Hilary Calvert and senior Finance staff at the open meeting on Wednesday, 27 November.

The meeting is being held to allow members of the public who have questions or concerns regarding DCC finances to seek answers during an open question and answer session.

It is hoped that questions posed on the night can be answered on the night, so it would be helpful if questions that may require research could be provided in advance.

If you have a question, please email dcc @ dcc.govt.nz

When 27 Nov 2013 5:30pm-7:00pm
Where Meeting Room One, Municipal Chambers

Related Post and Comments:
17.11.13 DCC Finance Committee: Public meeting 27 November
[Invitation from Cr Richard Thomson]

DCC Link [no longer active]

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: investingcaffeine.com – busted piggy bank, re-imaged by Whatifdunedin

DCC: St Clair esplanade and seawall [public forum] 27 November

Excavating public monies….

—

### ODT Online Sat, 23 Nov 2013
Options for sea wall to be presented
By Debbie Porteous
People interested in an update on the St Clair beach and seawall work can attend a public meeting about it next week, but should not expect any specific answers just yet about long-term solutions to ongoing problems with the wall.
Read more

A set of broad strategic options for the way forward was clear and would be discussed at the meeting.

—

Dunedin City Council – PUBLIC FORUM
St Clair Esplanade and Seawall
Update 21 November 2013
A public forum will be held on Wednesday, 27 November to provide an update on the St Clair beach and seawall work.
The meeting will be held at 6.30pm at the Forbury Park Raceway hall. The purpose of the forum is to share the consultant’s findings and report back on progress – what information has been found and what areas need further investigation.
Opus work to date has included a structural assessment of the seawall, a review of previous studies and discussions with engineers previously involved in the project.
DCC Link

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Related Posts and Comments:
18.10.13 DCC: Final vote tally + St Clair boat ramp
18.8.13 South Dunedin and other low lying areas
31.5.13 Sinkhole
26.5.13 [bad news] St Clair seawall #FAIL
28.11.11 St Clair seawall and beach access
31.3.11 St Clair esplanade, Dunedin

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: 3news.co.nz – St Clair esplanade, re-imaged by Whatifdunedin

Otago Polytechnic: Dunedin School of Art —SITE 2013 [student showcase]

SITE 2013 – Image: Jo Papps

23 Nov & 25-28 Nov, Dunedin School of Art (DSA), Riego Street (off Albany Street)
Art lovers will be engaged and inspired by a varied range of unique artworks in this celebrated end-of-year exhibition from the Dunedin School of Art. The featured artists are all final year undergraduate students and each of the School’s studio areas are represented. Prepare to be impressed by the talents of this next generation of artists. Many works will be for sale. See SITE 2013 Event on our facebook page

Exhibition opening hours:
Saturday 23 Nov, 10-4pm
(Sunday closed)
Monday 25 to Thursday 28 Nov, 10-4 pm

See ODT article with a glimpse of works by Tara James and Cheriene Singer in the upstairs gallery. (image: Tara James, Dumb Animals, 2013 installation from SITE 2013 – Tara is currently on a work placement at the DPAG)

DAS Link (news)

—

Related Post:
9.11.13 Otago Polytechnic: DEBRIEF and Collections 13 [student showcase]

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

ORC: Commemorative bridge?

### ODT Online Wed, 20 Nov 2013
Leith walkway bridge proposed
By Rebecca Fox
The Otago Regional Council will consider funding a World War 1 commemorative walking and cycling bridge over the Water of Leith, at a possible cost of between $1 million and $2.5 million. The bridge, near Magnet St and the mouth of the Leith, would link the West Harbour cycle-walkway with a Dunedin City Council-funded extension to the inner-harbour walkway.
Read more

—

ORC Policy Committee Agenda and Reports 20 Nov 2013
See Item 2 2013/1154
Harbourside walkway/cycleway: bridging Water of Leith.
DPRP, 6/11/13 (pages 5-8)

ORC Walk/Cycle location plan (detail from page 8) – dotted yellow line indicates new bridge [click to enlarge]

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: New chief executive

The choice of an in-house candidate with some spendthrift tendencies —none other than Sue Bidrose, aka Rosebud.

—

Dunedin City Council – Media Release
New DCC Chief Executive Announced

This item was published on 18 Nov 2013.

Dunedin City Council senior manager Sue Bidrose is the DCC’s new Chief Executive. Bidrose, currently DCC General Manager Services and Development, will take up the position on Saturday, 23 November. Announcing the appointment today, Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says the Council made a clear decision in favour of Bidrose, from a strong field of 31 applicants, including overseas applicants.

“[Ms] Bidrose has been performing at a very high level for the three years she has been with the DCC. She continues the tradition of a Chief Executive with a highly developed sense of the responsibilities of public service. I am very confident she is not only extremely competent, but is of the utmost integrity.”

As a member of the DCC’s senior executive team Bidrose helped drive far-reaching changes in the past three years to limit debt and reduce staff and spending, while not reducing levels of service to the community. “It was important for us that the changes put in place by the current Chief Executive were seamlessly progressed and Sue is in the ideal position to do that,” Cull says. Bidrose, who is the DCC’s first female chief executive, says she is delighted to have been selected for the role.

“I am very much looking forward to the challenges of the Chief Executive’s position. I am committed to this organisation and to continuing to have a successful working relationship with elected representatives, staff and the community.”

Bidrose replaces Paul Orders who leaves on Saturday to take up the post of Chief Executive of Cardiff Council in Wales. Bidrose started with the DCC in November 2010 as General Manager Strategy and Development. She came from the Waitakere City Council where she had spent five years in a range of leadership positions, including Director: Community Wellbeing. Bidrose’s previous experience includes senior policy and managerial roles with the Ministry of Social Development. Trusteeships, directorships and board positions held by Bidrose include her current role as Director of Workwise, an agency which assists people with mental illness into work. Bidrose has a PhD in psychology from the University of Otago.

Bidrose’s base annual salary is $325,000. If Kiwisaver contributions are made, total remuneration would be $334,750.

Contact Mayor of Dunedin on 03 477 4000.

DCC Link

—

Related Posts and Comments:
14.11.13 Jeff Dickie thanks Mr Orders for trying (unabridged)
9.11.13 DCC: Appointing a new chief executive
8.11.13 DCHL, long wait for review (Larsen sighs)
29.10.13 DCC: First meeting, tidy or not
25.10.13 Dunedin: “no-growth city”
24.10.13 DCC in-house catering, pruned like CCC?
14.10.13 DCC: New chief financial officer
7.10.13 DCC councillors, no idea annual cost of owning, operating FB Stadium
29.9.13 Cull’s political party… Lost best chief executive we could find.
24.9.13 DCC chief executive Paul Orders recommended for Cardiff
7.9.13 Stadium: $266 million, more or less?
2.8.13 DCC, Stadium —sorry picture
10.7.13 Stadium: Edgar will honour $1M personal pledge to project
9.7.13 Delta Utility Services Ltd, full investigation needed
25.5.13 Paul Orders: Dunedin or Cardiff ???
7.9.12 Ombudsman assists release of CST file information
24.2.12 ‘The final cost of the stadium is … unknown.’

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: Auckland Motorcycles & Power Sports – Sue Bidrose (Ms)

DVML: Burden heads to Christchurch #EntirelyPredictable

Updated 27.11.13
Uh-oh, Mr Burden is flitting the coop EARLY – 24 December. See comment.

—

“Darren will be with us for up to another six months as he serves out his notice period.”

### ODT Online Mon, 18 Nov 2013
Stadium boss resigns
By Chris Morris
The head of the company running Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium has resigned, and will instead help Christchurch rebuild its suite of venues, it has been confirmed. Dunedin Venues Management Ltd chief executive Darren Burden’s departure was confirmed in a media statement released this afternoon.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC Finance Committee: Public meeting 27 November

Updated post 26.11.13
DCC Annual Report 2012/2013

—

Received.

—– Original Message —–
From: Richard Thomson
To: Elizabeth Kerr
Sent: Sunday, November 17, 2013 8:53 PM

Hi Elizabeth,

you may wish to advise the readers of and contributors to your blog site of the following meeting. I have copied the gist of the advertisement regarding it below:

“You are invited to an open meeting with the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Dunedin City Council Finance Committee, and senior finance staff. The intention of the meeting is to allow members of the public who have questions or concerns regarding Council Finances to seek answers to their questions during an open question and answer session. It is hoped that questions posed on the night can be answered on the night so It would be helpful if questions that may require research could be provided in advance. Please come and join Finance Committee Chair Cr Richard Thomson and Deputy Chair Cr Hilary Calvert and Council staff in Meeting Room 1 Dunedin Municipal Chambers at 5.30pm on the 27th of November”

I recognise that numbers are one thing and interpretation is another. Hilary and I are keen to make it as simple as possible for interested members of the public to get access to Council financial information. People may of course look at the same figures and draw different conclusions as to their importance, implications, or whatever. The point of the session is not to agree conclusions (although we can certainly discuss interpretation if people want) but to ensure that people have the information and understand it in order to draw their own conclusions. Whilst we anticipate that many questions will be answerable off the cuff, we will be able to provide better information for people if complex questions are communicated in advance. To that end you are perfectly free to include my email address for anyone who wishes to take advantage of this. Senior finance staff will also be in attendance. Whilst the initial meeting is an experiment by a new Chair and Deputy of the Finance Committee, if there is interest then we would hope to repeat it on a regular basis.

Regards
Richard Thomson

richard.thomson @ xtra.co.nz

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin cycleways: Calvin Oaten’s alternative route

Text received. Sunday, 17 November 2013 11:06 a.m.
The comment also appears at ODT Online (link supplied). -Eds

—

Some lateral thinking required?
Submitted by Calvin Oaten on Sat, 16/11/2013 – 3:03pm.
In all this discussion on the merits or otherwise of catering specifically for cyclists to have safe means of traversing central Dunedin, it seems that it is the safety which is being lost sight of. Surely, in a survey of recent cyclist fatalities in Dunedin, they have by far and away happened on the SH1 one ways. So why on earth do the authorities insist on staying on those routes? Is there no alternatives?

Let’s look at this. The main trip of concern is from Normanby to the Oval. Start at Normanby on North Rd (not an arterial way) travel to the Gardens, then along Gt King St to the Gardens side gate and onto the cycle/footpath, already existing, to Duke St, down to Castle or Leith Sts. Along to Dundas St and down to Forth St. Along Forth St to St Andrew St. Along Anzac Ave to the Railway Station. Along the station forecourt then onto railway land and proceed behind the Settlers museum and Chinese Garden, across Rattray St and along behind the Box Retail area to Andersons Bay Rd.

Problems? Negotiations would be needed to obtain an easement through the railway land and a lane constructed to suit. Advantages: No fatalities on SH1, No parking to be forfeited. No alteration to the landscaping. Face it, all those mature trees along both route are very efficient ‘carbon sinks’ and one would expect cyclists to appreciate the value of those. From this route it would not take too much planning to tie it in with the N W Harbour to Port Chalmers trail, again obviating needing to go onto SH1 or 88. It also connects nicely with the University complex. A cycle park could be established in the Station vicinity, with a short walk to the CBD.

Win win I would think. Disadvantages: Frankly I can’t think of any, but I am sure there will be.

[ends]

—

Add this:

Anonymous
Submitted on 2013/11/17 at 6:04 pm

Normanby to Gardens on existing cycleway, check.
Through Botanic Gardens on new cyclepath – DCC initiative.
Exit at Leith St, connect to new cyclepath through University – Otago Uni initiative.
Exit at Albany St, proceed to Anzac Ave on existing cycle lane.
Connect through Railway Station to existing cycle lane.
Arrive adjacent to Oval in mint condition.

****

NZTA/DCC Dunedin Separated Cycle Lane Proposal

█ Public consultation on two preferred cycle lane options ends at 5pm on Friday, 6 December.

To access an online survey form or for more information on the separated cycle lane options, visit http://www.nzta.govt.nz/dunedincyclesafe, or email your comments to dunedinshcyclelanes @ nzta.govt.nz. Alternatively, ring 03 477 4000 for an information pack, or post your comments to:

Cycle Lane Feedback, C/o NZ Transport Agency, PO Box 5245, Moray Place, Dunedin 9058

People are welcome to attend the remaining drop-in sessions:
● Held. [12 noon – 2pm, Thursday 14 November, Wall Street Mall]
● 3pm – 6pm, Tuesday 19 November, Otago Settlers Museum
● 12 noon – 2pm, Wednesday 20 November, The Link (University of Otago)

—

Related Posts and Comments:
17.11.13 Cull and MacTavish… “Have you fixed the debt crisis?”
14.11.13 Cycle lane explosions and puncture kits (SPOKES grenades launch)
8.11.13 Dunedin Separated Cycle Lane Proposal [how to make a submission]
5.11.12 DCC, NZTA: Cycle lanes controversy
19.10.13 Cycle lobby games and media tilts
24.9.13 Mediocrity and lack of critical awareness at DCC [council reports]
8.7.13 Bloody $tupid cycleways and Cull’s electioneering . . . [route maps]
28.3.13 DCC DAP 2013/14: Portobello Harington Point Road Improvements
26.2.13 DCC binge spending alert: Proposed South Dunedin cycle network
22.2.13 DCC: Council meeting agenda and reports for 25 February 2013
31.1.13 Who? 2010 electioneering
21.11.12 Safe cycling -Cr Fliss Butcher

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Cull, MacTavish: (to borrow a phrase) “Have you fixed the debt crisis?”

Responding to an espousal on ‘Cycleways and parking issues’ at ODT Online:

DCC’s +$47M cycleways project
Submitted by ej kerr on Thu, 14/11/2013 – 11:13pm.
Cr MacTavish has better things to do. She knows it. Her job
as a city councillor is to take the air out of her various
tyres and acknowledge that her loose-assemblage greenwash
‘political party’ should stop its spendthrift ways. Far
better that they bend over backwards on quickly retiring the
council’s +$623M consolidated debt. A harder workout than
cruising on SH1 with the wind up their tails.

****

Hype O’Thermia kindly forwards this link for serious entertainment…

Published on 13 Nov 2013. ClarkeandDawe.
An Honest Assessment, Project by Project
“Tony Abbott. Head Prefect.” Originally aired on ABC TV: 14/11/2013.

ABCTV: For 25 years, John Clarke and Bryan Dawe have been engaged in discourse on a range of issues. These interviews appear each week on television, radio and online and several collections have been released on CD, DVD and in book form. Every Thursday a fresh interview is loaded and fired into the blithersphere. It can be seen at mrjohnclarke.com, their YouTube site or the Facebook page.

More Clarke and Dawe at Quiz on politics

—

Related Posts and Comments:
14.11.13 Cycle lane explosions and puncture kits (SPOKES grenades launch)
8.11.13 Dunedin Separated Cycle Lane Proposal [how to make a submission]
5.11.12 DCC, NZTA: Cycle lanes controversy
19.10.13 Cycle lobby games and media tilts
24.9.13 Mediocrity and lack of critical awareness at DCC [council reports]
8.7.13 Bloody $tupid cycleways and Cull’s electioneering . . . [route maps]
28.3.13 DCC DAP 2013/14: Portobello Harington Point Road Improvements
26.2.13 DCC binge spending alert: Proposed South Dunedin cycle network
22.2.13 DCC: Council meeting agenda and reports for 25 February 2013
31.1.13 Who? 2010 electioneering
21.11.12 Safe cycling -Cr Fliss Butcher

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

2013 Southern Architecture Awards – NZ Institute of Architects

Civic rejuvenation a theme of Southern Architecture Awards

15 November 2013

Buildings that acknowledge a rich colonial heritage were celebrated in the 2013 Southern Architecture Awards, announced at Remarkables Primary School in Queenstown on Friday, 15 November.

The 12 award-winning projects span a number of architectural types, ranging from public buildings such as museums and bus shelters, to a gymnasium and study centre, and private homes located across the Otago and Southland regions.

Convenor of the jury, Queenstown architect Bronwen Kerr, said judging was made all the more rewarding because the team was able to visit a few gems, buildings, she said, that “instantly uplift the soul”. One such project was Pitches Store in the small settlement of Ophir, originally built in the 1880s and since refurbished to become a restaurant and hotel. “That was a definite highlight,” Kerr said. “It was wonderful to see how a single building could enhance the spirit of a town.” Similarly, in Cromwell, a new bus shelter and block of toilets, although utilitarian, are the first stage of a project heralding a “rejuvenation” of the public face of that historic town.

Architects Justin Wright and Nick Mouat, along with broadcaster Leanne Malcolm, joined Kerr on the Awards jury. Although there was much debate, the jury shared a similar response to the projects they visited. “There was a nice alignment in the way we thought and felt about the buildings,” Kerr said.

The jury members agreed that the redeveloped Toitu Otago Settlers Museum is a “remarkable asset” for Dunedin. The project unites various structures from different eras into a cohesive whole and does a good job of connecting the railway station to Queens Gardens, Kerr said. “It’s not just a museum honouring the history of the early settlers, it’s also a ‘museum of buildings’.”

While the scale of the museum is large, many of the award-winning buildings had modest budgets. “We gave a number of awards to houses that were not big or expensive,” Kerr said. For example, an energy-efficient suburban home in Wanaka and a simple bach at the mouth of the Taieri River, constructed in just eight weeks, felt so comfortable that the jury just “didn’t want to leave”.

—

██ NZIA 2013 Southern Architecture Awards – winners information, citations and more photos at NZIA website

Recipients of 2013 Southern Architecture Awards

A building that successfully threads together stands of architectural history is a double Awards winner. Toitu Otago Settlers Museum in Dunedin has been transformed into a “living archive” and given a dramatic new entrance area by Baker Garden Architects and Robert Tongue Architect.

In awarding the project in the Public Architecture category, the jury commented that the contemporary glass addition not only provides an “entrance with clarity” but reconnects the museum to the city in a “physical and community sense”.

Toitu Otago Settlers Museum was also recognised in the Heritage category. The same architects had amalgamated a “unique aggregate of buildings” while skilfully managing to hide the “sophisticated environmental mechanics” of a modern museum to deliver a seamless visitor experience.

Smaller in size but just as significant within the context of community, Pitches Store was the second project to feature in the Heritage category. Michael Wyatt Architect’s refurbishment and sensitive restoration of this old stone store had kept the building’s “endearing rawness,” the jury said.

A new gymnasium in a Dunedin college and a modern study centre at the University of Otago were awarded in the Education category.

John McGlashan College’s gymnasium, designed by McCoy and Wixon Architects would, the jury said, lure even the most reluctant student to participate in physical education. With its views over a golf-course and its industrial materiality, the gymnasium “retains its individuality” while sharing a language with a community of existing school buildings.

Mason & Wales Architects’ redevelopment of the iconic ‘Gardies’ tavern recognises the “importance of the social” in the university context. The new Marsh Study Centre is not only a place of learning but, with its café and living area with a welcoming fireplace, is also a place of retreat.

The idea of refuge was explored by the same architects in Taieri Mouth Bach which, along with a bus shelter and public toilets, was acknowledged in the Awards’ Small Architecture category.
Mason & Wales Architects used a simple gable and “straightforward and robust” materials to capture “rawness” in this Kiwi bach which settles into the dunes, surrounded by fishing shacks. “If it were a poem, the building would be a haiku,” the jury said.

A pattern of falling leaves, cut in relief from a rusted steel sheet, brings a poetic influence to two workaday structures near the Cromwell Mall. Mary Jowett Architects’ clever design of this screen to provide privacy for the entrance of the public loo while simultaneously acting as a backdrop to the new bus shelter, achieves “lightness and delicacy” even while using a “robust and enduring” material palette.

Six private dwellings received awards – two in Wanaka, two in Dunedin and one each in Alexandra and Lake Hayes.

Awarded in both the Housing and Sustainable Architecture categories, Acland House by Rafe Maclean Architects is a family home in suburban Wanaka organised around three courtyards providing outdoor shelter from mountain breezes. The house also features hydronic heating in the floor and windows designed to act as “wind catchers” in the hot summer months.

The jury was understandably reluctant to leave when it visited Emerald Bluffs House by RTA Studio, also in Wanaka. The house enjoys views that celebrate its connection to landscape, enfolds as a “beautiful balance of private and collective spaces” and uses a tapestry of materials that “rewards all the senses”.

Further south, in Alexandra, Irving Smith Jack Architects referenced the tent villages of the gold-panning pioneers in a home built in a “raw and boundless landscape”. The home, with its insulated concrete core, tilted fly roofs and planning that is eccentric yet charming is, the jury said, “the original anti-villa”.

The first of the Dunedin duo in the Housing category of the Awards is a strong composition in black and white on Maori Hill. McCoy and Wixon Architects used an internal courtyard to imbue a compact design with a feeling of spaciousness. “Thoughtful and consistent” detailing augments the planning of this home constructed on a tight budget.

A steep site in the hills west of the city allowed Architectural Ecology to design a house that connects strongly with the vertical view of trees. The jury said the design of the Helensburgh Road House is “happily unafraid of complexity”. In keeping with the owners’ eco-friendly philosophies, sustainable timbers have been extensively used in a “multitude of exuberant forms” that cascade down the hillside.

Cedar, masonry and zinc are the material trio making up Lake Hayes Residence, designed by Warren and Mahoney Architects on a steep slope adjacent to a public walkway. The project, which comprises two forms and includes split-level flooring, was praised for its flexible planning which allows it to “morph between a comfortable home for two and a holiday house for wider family.”

The Southern Architecture Awards is a peer-reviewed programme of the New Zealand Institute of Architects. All recipients of 2013 Southern Architecture Awards are eligible for consideration for the top tier of the annual Architecture Awards programme, the New Zealand Architecture Awards. These awards will be announced in May 2014.

The New Zealand Architecture Awards are supported by Resene and judged by juries appointed by the New Zealand Institute of Architects and its branches.

Source: NZIA News & Media

ODT 16.11.13 Acclaim for great designs

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: CEO appointment process, Mayor Cull rides the edge

Received from Lee Vandervis
Saturday, November 16, 2013 7:56 AM

Message: I would like to emphasise that this letter to the ODT Editor was sent before I had any knowledge of what candidates we were to be presented with for the CEO position, so it relates only to my disappointment with the search process.
It seems the ODT do not consider it worthy of publication.
Cheers,
Lee

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 22:13:16 +1300
To: EditorODT
Cc: Paul Orders [DCC], Sandy Graham [DCC], Mayor Dave Cull, Kate Wilson, Richard Thomson, Chris Staynes, John Bezett, Lee Vandervis , Hilary Calvert, Doug Hall, Andrew Whiley, Aaron Hawkins, Mike Lord, David Benson-Pope, Neville Peat, Andrew Noone, Jinty MacTavish
Conversation: CEO appointment process – Letter to the Editor –
Subject: CEO appointment process – Letter to the Editor –

CEO Appointment Process – Letter to the Editor

Dear Murray,

Mayor Cull claims that the current CEO appointment process is “exactly the same” as that used to recruit Mr Orders in 2011 [ODT 9/11/13]
Differences however include: the shortest ever DCC CEO search period of only 14 days from first ad to closure of applications when months are usual, no opportunity for Councillors to input into the CEO job description as we were able to last time, 7 new Councillors excluded from this search process, no Acting CEO appointed to bridge any gap, Mayor Cull exceeding his authority by shortening Orders’ contractual 3 month let-out period without getting Council approval, confirming farewell function, and publicly claiming that Orders early departure “clearly remained subject to approval by Councillors” when crystal clearly that decision has already been made and scheduled, if not air-travel-ticketed. Mayor Cull also prevented CEO appointment debate in public at the our first Council meeting by refusing to bring the CEO Appointment Report into public, despite my demonstrating that there was no reason for keeping the report non-public.
These fast-track abuses of proper processes have sadly reduced elected representative input into likely the most important decision that will be made this term.

Cr. Lee Vandervis

—— End of Forwarded Message

Related Posts and Comments:
9.11.13 DCC: Appointing a new chief executive
29.9.13 Cull’s political party caucuses ‘in term’. Lost best chief executive we could find.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Community board (Mosgiel-Taieri) clandestine meetings

“The key principle of LGOIMA [Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act] is about transparency and openness.” –Sandy Graham, DCC Corporate Services manager

### The Star Thu, 14 Nov 2013
Board warned off private meetings
By Tim Miller
A catch-up over coffee nearly landed the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board in hot water after members of the public complained it was meeting in secret.

Read more (page 3) at http://digital.thestar.co.nz/olive/ode/str_daily/

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### dunedinty.co.nz November 11, 2013 – 7:11pm
Nightly interview: Bill Feather
One group of Dunedin’s elected officials do their work often under the radar of the media. They are the members of the city’s six community boards, which each have six members, plus one councillor appointed by the DCC.
Video

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QUESTION
Cr Kate Wilson is the DCC appointee to the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board; and Cr Mike Lord, to the Strath Taieri Community Board.
The two councillors are required to travel to community board meetings outside their own constituencies, for which they may now claim a travel disbursement.
Is Mayor Cull ensuring (more) money for friends? Surely not.
Shouldn’t Cr Wilson and Cr Lord stay on their own home turf, reducing the impost on DCC ratepayers?

Profiles for new councillors were supposed to be available at the DCC website from 8 November. It hasn’t happened.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image – dcc.govt.nz Bill Feather

Cycle lane explosions and puncture kits (SPOKES grenades launch)

“Whilst I know there will be a lot of people that are very favourable towards these changes, overwhelmingly the business community seems to be bearing the brunt of the impact.”
–John Christie, Otago Chamber
ODT Link

Uploaded on 18 Sep 2006. — Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle! / I want to ride my bicycle / I want to ride my bike / I want to ride my bicycle / I want to ride it where I like / You say black I say white…

Published on 6 Mar 2012. Sons of Silence. — I rise in the morning, and greet the day / pull out the bike and I’m on my way / The transportation shows I care / Every turn of the pedal – cleans the air…

Published on 3 Jul 2012. — Riding on my bike on a Tuesday night I’m collecting rhymes / I pedal to the left then I kick it to the right and then I change my mind / I met a man who’s shipping bikes to Africa…

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Related Posts and Comments:
8.11.13 Dunedin Separated Cycle Lane Proposal
5.11.12 DCC, NZTA: Cycle lanes controversy
19.10.13 Cycle lobby games and media tilts
24.9.13 Mediocrity and lack of critical awareness at DCC [council reports]
8.7.13 Bloody $tupid cycleways and Cull’s electioneering . . . [route maps]
28.3.13 DCC DAP 2013/14: Portobello Harington Point Road Improvements
26.2.13 DCC binge spending alert: Proposed South Dunedin cycle network
22.2.13 DCC: Council meeting agenda and reports for 25 February 2013
31.1.13 Who? 2010 electioneering
21.11.12 Safe cycling -Cr Fliss Butcher

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: dreamstime.com – cartoon explosion 17525964

Jeff Dickie thanks Mr Orders for trying (unabridged)

Opinion.

—– Original Message —–
From: Jeff Dickie
To: Elizabeth Kerr
Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2013 1:24 PM
Subject: Fw: Paul Orders thank you for trying

—

—– Forwarded Message —–
From: Jeff Dickie
To: editor@odt.co.nz
Sent: Tuesday, 5 November 2013 6:55 PM
Subject: Paul Orders thank you for trying

I for one, feel very sad at the impending departure of CEO Paul Orders. His policy of openness and being willing to meet citizens has been in marked contrast to the Bejing style of the Chin/Harland Dynasty. Added to this is the impending day of reckoning for Dunedin’s debt crisis, which worryingly our current mayor seems to think he’s sorted! It would have been helpful to have had someone of Orders’ calibre at the top in city hall.

I have met with Mr Orders on more than one occasion and have had ongoing communications regarding DCC spending, with particular regard to the logic of council owning investment property, and to providing ratepayers with an honest assessment of stadium costs. Partly as a result of these communications, an extra $42 M has been identified, with the official total now a massive $266 M and rising. Also the bogus $66 per annum based figure has now been removed from our rates bills. That was nothing short of dishonest misrepresentation and the DCC could be sued for this.

The latest official tally makes a nonsense of the DCC funded audit that had $224 M as the stadium cost. The audit was a complete waste of further ratepayers’ money. During this period Mr Orders had used his best endeavours to come up with an honest assessment. It is quite apparent to me his voice has been almost alone in council. It is hard to know whether the lack of transparency is deliberate or just incompetence!

Like many others, I wish to thank Paul Orders for his efforts in attempting to reform a feral rogue council that has continued to embrace numerous expensive and foolish projects. I am sure when he applied for the CEO’s position, he had no idea of the mess he would face in Dunedin. It was a “tall order”, trying to run a city with a group that would struggle to run a hotdog stand in the Octagon! The talent has been pretty thin around the DCC table and we can’t blame him for leaving. The recent election results confirms the adage, “voters get the politicians they deserve”. Thank you for trying Mr Orders.

JEFF DICKIE

WOODHAUGH

—– Forwarded Message —–

[ends]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Northland council amalgamation

### radionz.co.nz Tuesday 12 November  -  12:20 pm NZT
(Updated 38 minutes ago)
RNZ News
Single council for Northland proposed
The Local Government Commission has recommended a single unitary council for the whole of Northland.
The commission at Waitangi on Tuesday revealed its draft proposal for reorganising local government in the region. It proposes one council and one mayor for Northland and a second tier of community boards.
A new nine-member council, to be based in Whangarei, would replace Far North District Council, Whangarei District Council, Kaipara District Council and Northland Regional Council.
The commission also proposes a special council committee to represent Northland’s large Maori population.
RNZ Link

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Related Posts and Comments:
29.6.13 Audit NZ and OAG clean bill of health —Suspicious!
21.4.13 Councils “in stchook” —finance & policy analyst Larry.N.Mitchell
19.3.12 Local government reform
21.2.12 Kaipara this time

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Posted by Elizabet Kerr

DCC: Councillors delegated street furniture decisions to staff

Peter Entwisle says “some principles need teasing out: CONTEXT, AUTHENTICITY, FLEXIBILITY and TRUE EXCEPTIONALITY”

[transpressnz.blogspot.com]

### ODT Online Mon, 11 Nov 2013
Opinion
Rearranging the street furniture
By Peter Entwisle
Dunedin is adopting a new generation of street furniture. It’s happened before with varying results and we should try to do better this time.
Read more

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Dunedin City Council – Media Release
Free Parking – for Cycles
This item was published on 19 Jun 2012.
The rollout of 56 new cycle stands around the city is almost complete. The sites are high demand and high profile areas that were identified in consultation with community boards and cycling groups.
There are two types of stand – 46 basic U-shaped stainless steel stands, and two sets of five stands that, when installed, spell ‘cycle’. The stands were designed in-house and manufactured by local business Identimark with some parts of the manufacturing process undertaken in Auckland.
Read more

16.7.11 ODT More cyclists than a year ago: survey
Dunedin will spend $20,000 on 70 cycle stands for central city sites over the next two years.

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Bicycle Management
Dunedin City Council: Cycle stands, hitching rails and facilities
http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/services/cycling/cycle-stands

University of Otago, Property Services: Cycling & Cycle Racks
http://www.propserv.otago.ac.nz/services/parkingcyclerack.html

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Related Posts and Comments:
8.11.13 Dunedin Separated Cycle Lane Proposal
5.11.13 DCC, NZTA: Cycle lanes controversy
19.10.13 Cycle lobby games and media tilts
24.9.13 Mediocrity and lack of critical awareness at DCC [council reports]
8.7.13 Bloody $tupid cycleways and Cull’s electioneering . . . [route maps]
28.3.13 DCC DAP 2013/14: Portobello Harington Point Road Improvements
26.2.13 DCC binge spending alert: Proposed South Dunedin cycle network
22.2.13 DCC: Council meeting agenda and reports for 25 February 2013
31.1.13 Who? 2010 electioneering
21.11.12 Safe cycling -Cr Fliss Butcher

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Quiz on politics

Published 6 Nov 2013. ClarkeandDawe.
A Full Working Knowledge of His Own Country
“Andrew Widebut-Gotawaywell, gentleman and scholar” Originally aired on ABC TV: 07/11/2013.
[Link via Hype O’Thermia]

An older clip, from the same year DCC admitted it had a problem.

Uploaded on 16 Feb 2011. ClarkeandDawe.
Budgets. A Masterclass.
“Wayne Swan, Federal Treasurer” Originally aired on ABC TV’s The 7.30 Report: 17/02/2011.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Otago Polytechnic: DEBRIEF and Collections 13 [student showcase]

DEBRIEF will preview on November 20 and include work by 75 graduating communication, fashion, interior and product design students.

DEBRIEF will be combined with a fashion show titled Collections 13 of work by graduating fashion design students.

DEBRIEF – 96 Anzac Avenue (former Unipol building)
Public open hours:
Thursday 21 November: 11:00am-5:00pm
Friday 22 November: 12:00pm-6:00pm
Saturday 23 November: 12:00pm-4:00pm
Sunday 24 November: 10:00am-2:00pm

Collections 13 – 96 Anzac Avenue (former Unipol building)
Friday 22 November, 5.30pm-10:30pm
Tickets now on sale and can be purchased from Dash Tickets

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Otago Polytechnic – Press Release
Otago Polytechnic Design students prepare to ‘DEBRIEF’
Friday, 8 November 2013, 12:42 pm
Pop-up cinemas, projection displays and Shanghai-inspired fashion designs are just some of the exciting pieces on display, as third-year Otago Polytechnic Design students prepare for DEBRIEF; their end of year exhibition kicking off on Wednesday, November 20.
Spanning four design disciplines, DEBRIEF is an opportunity for Communication, Fashion, Interiors and Product students to make their debuts as designers. It is an exhibition of creativity and flair: a visual reference to the next chapter in life, turning over a new leaf and bookmarking important moments over three years of design degree study.
Read more at Scoop

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: Whatifdunedin (smartphone) DEBRIEF 21 Nov 2013

DCC: Appointing a new chief executive

Cr John Bezett contacted ODT yesterday concerned the recruitment process was being rushed.

### ODT Online Sat, 9 Nov 2013
Picking council CEO gets tense
By Chris Morris
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull faces a fresh political scrap with some of his councillors over the search for the Dunedin City Council’s next chief executive. The political sniping began after Mr Cull told the Otago Daily Times on Thursday he expected a replacement for outgoing chief executive Paul Orders to be confirmed by November 21 “at the very latest”.
Read more

—

CORRESPONDENCE
Four forwarded messages – individual email addresses removed. -Eds

I

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 15:55:45 +1300
To: Chris Morris [ODT]
Cc: Mayor Dave Cull, Kate Wilson, Richard Thomson, Chris Staynes, John Bezett, Lee Vandervis, Hilary Calvert, Doug Hall, Andrew Whiley, Aaron Hawkins, Mike Lord, David Benson-Pope, Neville Peat, Andrew Noone, Jinty MacTavish
Conversation: Paul Orders appointment process
Subject: Re: Paul Orders appointment process

Hi Chris,

I share Councillor Bezett’s concerns and have emailed staff to find out what has happened. [See forwarded email that follows]
The shortest-ever DCC CEO search process which ran with its first ad on 28th September but with applications closing two weeks later on 11th of October remains a great concern, suggesting predetermination and effectively preventing input into the CEO job description and search process by the 7 new Council members.
Today’s further rush in letting CEO Orders go before his 3 month contractual let-out seems to be another example of Mayoral decisions fast-tracking the CEO search process, and failing to get the most from CEO Orders before he goes.
I believe that all of these decisions should be all of Council decisions, as the appointment of a CEO is the supremely important and only staff appointment that Councillors are supposed to make.

Cheers,
Lee

—

On 8/11/13 2:06 PM, “Chris Morris” [ODT] wrote:

Hi Lee,

John Bezett rang me today to express concern at the Mayor’s comments (reported in today’s paper) on the recruitment process to replace Paul Orders. Cull said he hoped for an announcement by the 21st “at the very latest”. Bezett says that’s rushing it, it’s impracticable, unseemly, etc and he doubts the recruitment process can be concluded by then. He won’t comment on what he thinks is behind the apparent rush, though.

You’ve obviously already made your views clear on this, but I’m seeking comment from all councillors on whether they share those concerns or not – feel free to comment today…

Chris.

—— End of Forwarded Message