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
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—– 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
What if? Dunedin... 
Well said, Jeff Dickie.
I can only agree with Jeff Dickie and Hype O’Thermia. It makes anyone who cares about the wayward spending of the DCC in recent years angry to see what has been done on our behalf. But I too thank Mr Orders that we had his good services for as long as we did, so as to show any future executives how to manage the city’s finances. Thanks again and may you have a wonderful time working back in the UK.
I also wish to thank Mr Orders for the work he has done for Dunedin, his imput has been outstanding. His going is a great loss to Dunedin. We wish you all the best with your new job.
Pat Adamson
It’s going to be hard for any successor to lapse back into the slackness, gormlessness and “you-scratch-my-back” practices we had got used to, before Paul Orders came along. We’ve seen the best: there’s a standard to live up to now.
I don’t know of one person in Dunedin that doesn’t admire Paul Orders for his character and for his work. I too join with those that wish him well in his new job in his old country. He has done a great job in ensuring that many of those that were part of the problem rather than part of the solution, are now gone from Council employ.
While many of the indolent, incompetent and stupid are also now gone from the Governance circles, there remains many that still cannot see just what a predicament Dunedin City is in, and will remain in, while the debt remains where it is, and while the causes for the debt remain where they are.
It is simply incredible that many of those that were part of the stadium decision still remain on the DCC. It is even more incredible that many of those that remain have an ostrich like mentality. Large problems usually demand large solutions, but it is clear that most of this Council don’t see what is staring at them in the face. While the City is crying out for progressive investment in IT based technologies, the main topic of conversation seems to be round the wisdom of putting cycle lanes up and down SH1. At that point I simply give up and begin to wonder just what has been put in the tea and coffee at Council meetings.
Russell, investing in an IT based economy is a good idea, but certainly not by the DCC.
The real solution is for the DCC to opt out of all business, It has a clear record of TOTAL failure in economic activity and a 100% record in getting in the way of private business.
The cycle lanes at the expense of parking places for customers is just one glaring example.
However almost every aspect of the Dunedin council is anti business and anti profit and all about increasing parking returns, rates and local taxes to ensure increased incomes for council employees and elected members.
If after thirty years of it you cannot see the trend, take your head out of the sand and wipe the grains out of your eyes.
John, there are no grains of sand in my eyes, just tears. Both of sadness and frustration at the utter madness of so much that has been done to this city over the last couple of decades by idiotic Mayors and councillors. And, as the saying goes: “we ain’t finished yet”.
A diplomatic but sadly light, euphemistic summary from the departing chief executive. [Ssshhh, Council debt CRISIS, +$623 million…]
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### ODT Online Fri, 22 Nov 2013
DCC ‘has turned corner’ – Orders
By Chris Morris
Dunedin City Council chief executive Paul Orders says he is leaving an organisation that has turned a corner. But the Welshman appointed to help transform the council – and, with it, the city – says there is work still to be done to secure council finances and the city’s burgeoning knowledge economy.
Read more
Enter *paul orders* in the search box at right for related posts.
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### ODT Online Fri, 22 Nov 2013
Council pays tribute to Orders
By Debbie Porteous
All possible words that could be used to describe a good person who did a great job were used, some of them several times, at yesterday’s Dunedin City Council meeting, when councillors farewelled departing chief executive Paul Orders.
Read more
*The views of Crs Lee Vandervis and Doug Hall not cited.
“All returning councillors from the last term, except Lee Vandervis, stood to say a few words.”
Wassup?
Don’t know, Hype! I imagine Lee isn’t keen to see PO go and is fairly pleased with the replacement. Maybe the Cull fanfare around PO’s departure got up his nose.
PO’s statement that “DCC ‘has turned corner’” is likely genuinely held – or is it ‘train coming!’ ready-talk in farewell (packed suitcases sentimentalise the brain cells)?
It’s nearly here. We await Standard & Poor’s credit rating report for DCC with much interest.
And (cough), the OAG’s wet bus ticket ‘case study’ using the old Delta Board’s [Hi Stuart McLachlan, Mike Coburn, and dearest, as in expensive, friends] real estate bender (talk of turning blind corners) at Jacks Point and Luggate to delicately educate this and other councils about governance of their companies… to ‘deter’ serious conflicts of interest – ‘moving right along’, or ‘forward’… with no recompense to Dunedin ratepayers who collectively lost HOW MUCH? on top of the NINE MILLION DOLLAR write down of the assets? You may well ask.
So if that’s turning a corner, I’m sorry PO, we can’t see the police, SFO or court prosecutions looming fast enough out of the Dunedin mists.
### dunedintv.co.nz November 22, 2013 – 7:24pm
A fond farewell at Council
The changing of the guard at the Dunedin City Council is complete. The week began with the announcement of a new chief executive, and drew to a close with the outgoing chief farewelled. And that farewell was a fond one.
Video
Did Lee decline to speak (I doubt that), or did his name just get slipped…errr…overlooked on the order paper? I guess ‘El Duce’ ran the roster. I know for a fact that Lee had a great deal of time for Paul Orders, even though he was disappointed at the business still not done. I suspect as far as ‘El Duce’ is concerned Lee is in ‘Coventry’ and there he will stay. He might be frightened Lee might throw up’ on his ermine Santa suit.
Coventry is quite a fun place – for those like Lee Vandervis that know how to run it, with dogged persistence and now with back-up from new councillors.
Quick! Run, Daaave.