![Sue Bidrose 3 [dunedintv.co.nz] whatifdunedin](https://dunedinstadium.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/sue-bidrose-3-dunedintv-co-nz-whatifdunedin.jpg)
Channel 39 imagines that the city council’s finances have been “put in order” – proof the station isn’t investigative or breathing oxygen.
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### dunedintv.co.nz December 24, 2013 – 2:05pm
Sue Bidrose
The Dunedin City Council had some turnover at the top late this year, after chief executive Paul Orders announced he was moving back to Wales after a two year stint. Orders’ time at the top was widely acknowledged as a period in which the council’s finances were put in order. The search to replace him resulted in a promotion from within.
Sue Bidrose took on the role in charge of more than 600 staff who run everything from rubbish collection to civil defence to economic development.
She came into the studio for a chat with chief reporter David Loughrey on subjects from motorbikes to stadiums to public service.
Video
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
*Image: dunedintv.co.nz – Sue Bidrose, screenshot (re-imaged by whatifdunedin)
What if? Dunedin... 
To be fair to the lady, she has just started in the position and has yet to hit her straps. Although she has been in the building for a while the task of CEO is a quantum leap from her previous position. Now she has the task of setting her stamp on the 2013/14 Annual Plan which is in the formative stages.
It will be the test of the lady if she can, or will, withstand the demand for resources to carry out all the wishes without extending the debt in any way. Now that indeed will be a herculean task, especially with the likes of Dave Cull and Jinty MacTavish pushing the Transport Strategy, incorporating the cycleways in and around Dunedin. It has been said that this alone could amount to around $47 million.
Then there is the Economic Development Plan which is aimed to create 10,000 new jobs, plus increasing the median income by $10,000 pa, in a ten-year timeframe. That will involve vast amounts of expenditure if it is ever to happen.
The Forsyth Barr Stadium has to be funded, both its debt servicing and its operational costs, which is already confirmed at around $18-20 million pa.
The Settlers Museum requires some $36m of debt servicing plus its own very obvious high operational costs.
The Town Hall Convention Centre carries some $45m plus of debt to be serviced and is scheduled to lose around ($4.2m) even if the consultants Horwath and co’s projected 36 conferences per year (previous best 16 in 2008) are achieved. Obviously a lot of work to do there, with the Stadium, Settlers Museum and Edgar Centre all competing for the same events. And that is just the majors,
That lady is going to need the wisdom of Solomon plus the nerve of a lion to contain all of this, or else appease the loudest which will be devastating for Dunedin. We will just have to wait and see, but the task looks a bit daunting for anyone with the faintest of hearts. I certainly wish her luck.
An impossible task for any chief executive, woman or man, especially given the current spendthrift crop of councillors just to complicate matters… And, if anything blows out as it’s sure to do in the derivatives market given the council is potentially exposed to the tune of $850 million (uncalled capital) with three big banks. What’s that phrase, Ratepayers? Oh yeah, in over its head.
From all I’ve heard of her, she has the capability of achieving in this job. One thing is for sure and that is she does not fit into the GOB’s school. If anything, she would be pretty strongly opposed to the clique of GOBs that have effectively stuffed Dunedin. I can’t imagine that the likes of Farry and his clique of the pro rugby boys will receive much of a reception.
Her difficulty will be dealing with the elected representatives only a few of which have any form of a clue about debt. Yes, Dunedin has ridded itself of non-performing idiots like Hudson, Acklin, Collins, but it still has Bezett, Noone and co to contend with. Hall and Calvert have business heads and a mandate to change, but the chances are that Thomson doesn’t really understand too much about finance, and Cull for whatever reason, is hell-bent on ramming this cycleway project up SH1 which by any form of measurement is an absolute nonsense.
I don’t see much hope of any radical change, and I certainly don’t see any hope of holding those fools to account for the creation of the debt in the first place – and that includes Stephens if all the suggestions of these finance gambles of derivative swaps are true.
Bidrose has a hard row to hoe and I too wish her luck.
Settling Anzac Ave/Frederick St would seem to be high on the agenda. It’s been two years and the State Highway is still illegally designated. You’d think that the responsible TLA would want to have this dispute resolved as quickly as possible, for the safety of its citizens. Wouldn’t it?
Let’s play a game. Pick a Councillor at random. Call them up and ask what the priority is within Council and/or Executive Management Team to resolve the dispute.
There is the festering pus, that hides the gangrene.
ODT 2.7.14 (page 4):
DCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
Thursday, 3 July
11am
Extraordinary Council, Council Chamber, Municipal Chambers to consider Changes to the Delegations of the Chief Executive Officer. This meeting will be held with the public excluded.
Either she gets powers enabling her to clean the place up or she gets kneecapped. What’s it to be?
Calvin, if you know a few naiive persons who enjoy gambling you could be onto a winner. Luck be a lady tonight!
Russell. In place of those councillors who departed we are now blessed with the likes of Benson-Pope and that idiot, Andrew Whiley, who doesn’t seem to be able to string one sensible thought, or sentence, at a time. A most unimpressive performer on the election hustings with his grab bag of cliches at the ready. At least Benson-Pope is capable at times of arguing some issues through, that are positive, even if he is creepy on a personal level. He is still basically a ‘has been’.
Just like Rolf
Site Admin
Best leave the unmentionable topic here – further comments will be deleted.
The allegations have been well documented in other publications.